In the Dark of the Night
by LeMistressV
Summary: In an alternate universe, Quistis Trepe is the daughter of a rich and mighty king. Inheriting her mother's powers, she has now become a great threat to the kingdom. But who will save her? Squall, Seifer, or Irvine? Find out.
1. Eighteen At Last ::Revised::

In the Dark of the Night

By LeMistressV

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters okay? Etc, etc, etc…So don't sue! And please don't bother flaming me, because they will be ignored.

Summary: In an alternate universe, Quistis Trepe is the daughter of a rich and mighty king. Inheriting her mother's powers, she has now become a great threat to the kingdom. Who can save her? Squall, Seifer, or Irvine? Find out. Slight RINOA BASHING!! If you don't like this, then LEAVE!! But I promise Rinoa fans that she'll have a happy ending!!! Please R&R!!!! Also, there may be slight OOC and GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!! IF YOU HATE THIS SORT OF THING, I SUGGEST YOU LEAVE NOW!!! 

Chapter 1 

Quistis shivered as the cool, night breeze swept across her face as she walked towards her balcony. This was her favorite spot in the entire castle, since it provided her with the beautiful view of the whole kingdom. It was also a beautiful place to think. 

The lovely princess inhaled deeply the sweet scents of the outdoors and smiled slightly. Tucking a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear, she thought excitedly about her upcoming 18th birthday. Closing her eyes, Quistis remembered her mother's soft and frail voice whispering in her ear when she was merely a child. 

** "Listen to me, Angel, and listen well. On your 18th birthday, you shall inherit my powers that I will pass onto you before my time comes. By doing so, you will be the most powerful ruler of this kingdom. But when this time shall come, there will be many dangers you must overcome. You must look after yourself and this kingdom, and you must be careful on the night of your 18th birthday, for that is when you will be most vulnerable…" **

Despite her mother's warning, Quistis still could not help the excitement that rushed through her. Soon she will inherit the magic that her mother had treasured most. Finally she could posses the blue magic that ran deep within her mother's side of the family. 

There was a soft knock coming from her richly decorated room, causing the beautiful girl's train of thought to vanish. Glancing over her shoulder, Quistis realized it was her lady-in-waiting, Lady Selphie Tilmitt, also her best friend. 

Selphie bowed slightly and walked towards Quistis. "Sorry for just walking in. Was I interrupting you?" she asked with her usual cheerfulness. 

Quistis shook her head. "No, I was just thinking," she answered, looking away from the view of the city. 

"Aren't you excited?" Selphie asked curiously. 

"What do you mean?" Quistis asked in slight confusion. 

"I mean for your birthday tomorrow. Shouldn't you be excited for tomorrow?" Selphie clarified. 

Quistis nodded. "Yes, I am excited. What news do you bring?" she inquired, smiling slightly. 

Selphie hopped up and down with excitement, her short brown hair bouncing up and down along with her. "Your father's back! He says he's got a surprise for you. Maybe you should see him now," she squealed happily. 

"Father? He's back already?" Quistis questioned, widening her smile. 

"He just arrived after dinner. C'mon! What are you waiting for?" the lady-in-waiting said impatiently. She grabbed Quistis' hand and nearly dragged her towards the throne room. 

Both nobles finally made it to the throne room, slightly out of breath. There they both saw the king's back turned towards them, as if in a deep conversation with someone. 

Quistis smoothened her peach colored dress before addressing her father. "Father?" she asked softly, but loud enough to be heard. 

Cid turned his head around and smiled happily as his daughter ran into his arms. "Angel! You've grown so much after I left," he exclaimed, hugging Quistis in a tight embrace. 

Quistis smiled and let go of the hug. "It's been awhile, when we last saw each other," she said. 

Cid nodded. "Well it's time to make up for the wasted time I've spent on my journey. Angel, I want you to meet my new wife and queen of this kingdom, Lady Edea," he said, signaling the person behind him to move forward. He placed his arm around Edea's shoulders and smiled. 

Edea smiled back first at Cid then at Quistis and Selphie. 

Quistis was taken aback in shock. She began to say something, but the words were suddenly caught in her throat. Never had she expected Cid to marry without informing her first. 

Selphie said nothing, but swiftly nudged Quistis in the ribs. 

"W…welcome to Balamb, Lady Edea," Quistis finally said, bowing slightly. 

Edea nodded her head and put a hand on Quistis' shoulder, a warm smile plastered on her pale lips. "You must be Princess Quistis. Your father has told me many things about you. He's very lucky to have a daughter such as yourself," she said in low and wispy voice. She glanced over her shoulder and withdrew the hand on Quistis' shoulder. The mysterious queen nodded at someone, signaling them to come forward. 

At that moment, a young man, about Quistis' age walked towards them. He carried a large and sharp Gunblade next to him as he walked towards Edea. 

Quistis stared into the young man's cold, green eyes for a moment. She found his gaze quite penetrating in a way, as if he could read her thoughts. Looking away, she studied his stern and expressionless face, avoiding the eyes as much as possible. 

Edea smiled, as he stood right next to her. "Quistis, this is my son, Prince Seifer Almasy," She introduced. 

Quistis heard Selphie mutter something under her breath but quickly ignored it as the cold, green eyes began to stare at her. Hesitantly, Quistis curtsied at Seifer and forced a smile on her lips. "W…w…welcome to Balamb, Sir Seifer," she stuttered to say. 

Seifer said nothing, but looked away from Quistis. His gaze was suddenly caught by a blonde figure leaning against the doorframe. 

The lovely princess followed his gaze and realized that her younger brother was watching them carefully. Especially Seifer. 

"Zell…" Quistis began, turning to face her brother. 

"What's going on here?" Zell asked, walking towards Quistis. He glanced at Cid, Edea, then at Seifer. "It's Zell, Prince of Balamb," he introduced, glaring at Seifer mysteriously. "And you are?" 

Seifer returned the glare but said nothing. 

Cid looked rather puzzled, but he said nothing about. "Zell, meet your new mother, Lady Edea. And your new brother, Seifer." 

Edea smiled pleasantly. "How do you do?" 

Zell nodded. "Pleasure to meet you," he muttered softly. He then walked away, grabbing hold of Quistis' hand. 

Quistis glanced at Cid and Edea. "It was a pleasure. Please excuse us," she said, following Zell. 

Selphie quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. 

Quistis pulled her hand away from her brother's clutch. "Zell? What is your problem?" she demanded, somewhat irritated. 

Zell sighed and glanced around the room. "I don't trust that Seifer. I want you and Selphie to stay away from him. He means trouble," he commanded, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Selphie giggled slightly. "Aren't you the selfish one, Zell. Afraid you might loose two beauties at once?" she teased. 

At this Zell grinned slightly. He turned to look at Quistis and became stern again. "Please watch out for yourself, sister dear. Especially tomorrow." 

Another giggle emerged from Selphie's lips as she tried her best to contain it with a small hand of hers. "Forgive me," she said as the two blondes glanced at her. "…But you can hardly take care of yourself, Zell. Imagine, a rather odd looking tattoo stuck onto the side of your face forever. I'd rather think that was quite careless of you attaining such a thing." 

Hearing this, the young prince ran a pale hand against his tattooed cheek, grinning once again. "Careless?" he asked in quite a shock. "This was an expensive tattoo! Besides, I find it quite dashing. It brings out my charming looks," he added, fixing his collar as he held a dreamy look in his blue eyes. 

Quistis gently touched her lips with her hand as she smiled. "Oh really? As I recall, father had been quite furious about your tattoo. Wouldn't talk to you for weeks. Then of course there was Grandfather and Grandmother. They had–" 

The young prince cleared his throat loudly, a slight tinge of red rising to his cheeks. "Let's not get to that subject…_again_. That has _nothing_ to do with my point! Now, what I mean," he paused as he gave the grinning Selphie a menacing glare, "without _further_ interruptions…is that you have to watch out for yourself. Remember what mom said before she died…" 

"I know. I haven't forgotten mother's warning. I'll be fine, Zell," she answered. Watching Zell leave she frowned slightly. "He is always so defensive around me. Every time someone new comes up he always tells me to stay away from them," she muttered to Selphie. 

Selphie shrugged. "Yeah well maybe he's just protective over you," she suggested. 

"Protective? He's already overprotecting me," Quistis answered, walking towards her chambers. 

Her best friend shrugged again. "Someday it might do you some good." 

* 

A young man dressed in a brown trench coat and a cowboy hat closed his left eye as he aimed at something with his favorite sniper. As he was about to pull the trigger, the door behind him suddenly burst open. Irvine yelped and jumped at the same time, causing him to pull the trigger in suspense. There was a loud bang as a bullet shot out of the young man's sniper. 

Irvine whirled around frustratingly at his companion. "Squall!!! You made me miss my target! Now I'll have to find another goddamn bird for dinner!!!" he shouted in frustration. "What the hell am I supposed to eat for dinner now?!" 

Squall raised an eyebrow, looking at his friend carelessly. "…Irvine, you're my steward. Why would you be out here on the balcony when you could just go to the kitchen and grab a bite to eat?" he asked calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Can't," Irvine replied. "The cook kicked me out of his kitchen after I kept flirting with his maids." He put down his sniper as his stomach growled loudly. "'Don't come back in here,' he says. 'You're ruining everything,' he says," he grumbled, mimicking the cook's tone as he put on a face. 

The handsome prince sighed and shoved in Irvine's hand a platter full of food. "I figured he'd kick you out again," he muttered in boredom. "The entire castle could hear the cook's screams of anger as she chased you out of his kitchen." 

The young steward blushed as he tipped the edge of his hat towards his face. "…You…heard about that?" 

"According to my calculations almost everyone but Laguna heard your pained screams of terror as the cook threatened to chop off your fingers while chasing you down with a rather large slice of frozen meat," Squall retorted in an unemotional tone. 

"Hmph! That was slightly more information than what you and everyone else in this place needed to know. Besides, it was a large frozen slice of meat! It was a large frozen leg of the pork you're having for dinner tonight. I'll tell you, that cook sure does work out," Irvine answered, grabbing the platter from his best friend's hands and gobbling it all up before Squall could blink. "Mmm…man that's good stuff!" he exclaimed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Man, you're the best, buddy." 

Squall just shrugged with his usual "whatever." 

There was a soft chuckle from behind Squall as a young woman walked next to him. "Oh, Irvine, you eat like a pig. A nobleman such as yourself shouldn't eat like one," she said, wrapping her arms around Squall's arm. 

Squall flinched slightly, but made no movement. "…Whatever." 

Irvine shrugged. "Can't help it, Rinny. I was kicked out of the kitchen ever since this morning. I've been starving all day," he explained, swallowing a glass full of liquid 

"I know. I've heard," was the short retort coming from the dark hard woman. Rinoa sighed and glanced up at Squall, a longing look in her eyes. "Squally, do you have to go away tomorrow just to attend some girl's birthday? Why can't you spend the rest of the day with me tomorrow?" she whined, tightening her grip on his arm. 

Squall shrugged off her grasp with no effort at all. "I already spend every single day with you," he grumbled miserably to himself. 

Irvine glanced first at Squall then to Rinoa. "Well, you can come with us if you want to, Rinny," he suggested, glancing at Squall. 

The prince moved his gaze towards Irvine and turned it into a glare. His eyes narrowed slightly as he clenched his teeth together. 

His best friend gulped, realizing that Squall did not want Rinoa to come with them. "Um…that is, you don't really wanna come to a boring party anyway. All that's there is a bunch of people listening to music and dancing and–" 

"Dancing?" Rinoa interrupted. She glanced at Squall and frowned. "Oh, Squall, you know how much I love to dance! Take me with you, please," she begged, holding on his arm again. 

Squall growled softly and smacked his forehead. "Irvine…" he growled in a low and dangerous rumble. 

"Oops…did I say the wrong thing again?" Irvine laughed nervously as Squall continued to glare at him. 

Squall pulled his arm from Rinoa's reach and quickly left the room, with Rinoa in hot pursuit. 

Irvine shrugged. "Oh well. At least that should keep him busy enough to give me time on my target practice," he said to himself as he aimed at the sky again. This time he shot at his target perfectly, causing a loud shriek to pierce the air. 

After a moment or so, a dead bird dropped dead in front of Irvine's feet. 

"Heh, that's another one for my collection." 


	2. Battle Royale

Chapter 2 

Quistis slowly walked through the marble cloister leading towards the palace gardens. As she continued to walk, she couldn't help but think about the mysterious Seifer who puzzled her thoughts ever since she laid eyes on him. Surprisingly, as the lovely princess arrived at the garden, she discovered that Seifer was standing in the very middle, holding his Gunblade. 

Seifer swung the weapon with ease. His feet moved in a graceful rhythm with his swinging Gunblade, as if in battle. As he moved, beams of sunlight bounced off his head and body, making his golden hair shine brightly. 

The princess watched with interest, as she stood next to a marble pillar. She studied his moves carefully, noting every detail of his swift movement. When Seifer finally stopped, Quistis clapped softly and slightly smiled. 

The prince quickly glanced at Quistis and raised an eyebrow. 

"Bravo," Quistis began. "Impressive. I've never seen anyone master such a difficult weapon here in Balamb." She walked towards Seifer and curtsied. "You must be quite a fighter." 

Seifer shrugged off her compliment. "Yeah, so?" 

Quistis scowled faintly. "Not much for compliments, are you?" 

"I don't accept charity from anybody. Especially those who don't know anything about it," Seifer sneered. 

At this the princess approached Seifer. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice becoming a bit commanding. "Was that a threat?" 

Seifer smirked at Quistis. "No. That was a challenge," he answered, carrying the Gunblade over his shoulder. 

Quistis remained expressionless. "Well as queen to be, I accept your challenge, Almasy. But you should never underestimate your opponents before you get to know a bit more," she replied, whirling out a whip. 

"Sure you want to fight in that pretty dress of yours?" Seifer asked, glancing at Quistis' peach dress. "You might ruin it." 

"Sure you want to fight in that suite? You might destroy," she retorted, using her left hand to lift her skirt from the ground. Her other hand was raised up high in the air with her whip in hand. 

Seifer stopped smirking and got in his battle stance. He suddenly swung his Gunblade towards Quistis with no sign at all. 

Quistis jumped back with ease, cracking her whip. She cracked her whip again at Seifer, causing him to jump back to evade the blow. 

Seifer grinned slyly and swung Hyperion at Quistis again. This time, he quickly sidestepped before the princess could evade his move. 

Quickly, Quistis moved to the side, causing the blade to tear the hem of her dress. With inhuman speed, she jumped far away from Seifer. She panted slightly as she glanced at her slightly damaged dress. 

"Not bad for a princess. You fight as well as any man," Seifer teased, trying to read her next move. 

Tucking a golden strand of her hair behind her ear she grinned. "Funny, I was about to say the same to you," she retorted. 

"Heh." The prince charged at Quistis, ready to stab her. 

With inhuman speed, the princess cracked her whip at the Gunblade, causing it fly out of Seifer's tight grasp. Quickly, before Seifer could react, Quistis launched her whip at the weapon, and brought it back to her clutch. 

Seifer stopped in front of Quistis as she pointed Hyperion at him. 

"Touche," Quistis whispered softly to herself. "Had enough?" 

"What? It's only the beginning," he answered. Without warning, Seifer ducked and swung his foot, causing Quistis to jump back again. Taking advantage of this distraction, Seifer grabbed the Hyperion from Quistis' grasp and grabbed hold of her other hand. 

Quistis gasped in shock as his tight grasp pulled her towards him, causing her to drop her whip. She looked up into Seifer's emerald green eyes and swallowed hard. Since she was only inches away from his face, she could feel his hot breath on her. 

Seifer gazed into her crystal, blue eyes carefully. "You've nowhere to go now, princess." 

Clenching her fists expressionlessly, she whispered, "I'm not easily defeated, you know." Suddenly, a small glow surrounded her body as she began to cast Fira. 

Seifer yelped and suddenly let go of her as a hot eruption exploded towards him. "…So, you know magic too," he whispered to himself as he stared at Quistis in shock. 

Quistis looked slightly shocked. "I…I…I…didn't mean to – " she stuttered. 

"You shouldn't have come here," Seifer said sternly. 

"For once I agree with you," Zell answered, leaning against the marble column. He walked towards Quistis and Seifer. 

"Zell, what are doing here?" Quistis asked. 

Zell glared at Quistis then at Seifer. "What's going on, Quisty? What happened to your dress?" he asked, looking at her now torn and ruined outfit. 

"Well, um…I was," Quistis began, trying to hide her whip. 

"Look, chicken-wuss, why don't you just back off and mind your own business," Seifer snapped cruelly. 

Zell glared at Seifer angrily. "What did you call me?!" he demanded, lifting up his fists. 

Quistis shook her head and sighed. "Zell! Look, it was my fault, okay? Just forget this happened," she growled, walking out of the garden. 

"I'll get you next time," Zell snarled before catching up with Quistis. "Quisty, what the hell was that?" Zell demanded, grabbing hold of her arm. 

Quistis sighed. "Look, I don't want to talk about, okay?" 

"I thought I told you to stay away from him," Zell snapped. He sighed and changed the subject. "Dad sent me to look for you. You should get ready for the party tonight." 

Quistis walked away coldly. 

At that moment, Selphie ran towards Quistis with a shocked expression on her face. "Quisty! Your dress!" 

"Long story, tell you later," she answered simply, walking towards her quarters. 

Well, what do you think so far? Suggestions? Comments? Reviews please! I promise you that chapter 3 is going to have all the good parts! I promise! So, please keep reviewing! You're reviews are much appreciated! ^-^


	3. Propositions ::Revised::

Chapter 3 

Squall looked around the room in disinterest. He was thankful that Irvine had asked Rinoa to dance with him so he could finally breathe without her presence. 

After a moment or so, Irvine walked towards Squall a large grin spreading across his face. "Having fun here, all by yourself?" he teased. 

Squall didn't answer. Quietly, he sipped his wine glass and then set it down without a single word. 

"Oh come now, Squall! Go knock yourself out! Look around!" Irvine said, waving at a few women from afar. "We are totally surrounded by angels. Tell me, is this heaven or what?!" Another grin spread across his handsome face as he took another sip from his wine glass. "'Oh, Squall! Why don't you dance with me! Oh Squall!'" he mimicked in a high-pitched tone. 

"…I hardly find you amusing," Squall grumbled, glaring at his friend. 

"Squally, why don't you dance with me?" Rinoa whined, hugging his arm again as she walked towards him. 

"…Whatever." 

Rinoa pouted. "You're so cold, Squall!" she complained, stomping her foot on the marble floor. 

Irvine glanced at the two nervously. "Um, Rinoa, why don't you dance with me again?" 

"Again? I always dance with you. Now I wanna dance with my Squally," Rinoa snapped. 

Squall flinched slightly and sighed. He got up from his seat and walked away quickly before Rinoa could catch up. With relief, he sighed and leaned against the marble wall. Suddenly, a striking blonde standing in the very middle of the dance floor caught his gaze. The prince glanced at her curiously, as she stood there silently, glancing up at the glassy roof. 

As a shooting star passed by, the lovely woman stopped looking up at the sky and by chance turned to glance at Squall. 

A gentle smile rising to her pink lips, Quistis walked over to where Squall was standing. "I see you're out here all by yourself," she said as she got to him. 

Squall sipped from his wine glass then placed onto a nearby tray. "Is it that obvious?" he asked with a small shrug. 

At this the princess chuckled softly. "Would you care to dance?" she asked, gesturing towards the dance floor as the music changed into a more happy rhythm. 

Squall shrugged. "I don't dance…I don't know how to," he answered honestly, shrugging once again. 

"Oh, I think a mighty prince such as yourself would be a fine dancer," Quistis replied. 

"How did you know I was a prince?" 

Quistis grinned slightly. "Lucky guess, I suppose. Now come and dance with me," she said, tugging on his hand gently. "I'm sure you'll do fine." 

Squall gave up resisting the beauty's offer to dance and walked with her towards the middle of the dance floor. 

Quistis placed Squall's arm around her hip and the other in her hand. She then began to slowly move her feet to the rhythm, hoping the prince would follow. 

Squall at first clumsily followed, occasionally tripping over his partner's feet. Yet in no time, he learned quickly the steps to the dance and had no sooner danced better then any professional dancer, with Quistis following his steps. 

As the song picked up a faster pace, the dance floor cleared as everyone gaped with awe at the two dancers. 

Quistis cleared her mind and let the music take over, performing the dance steps by reflex, not by memory. Her heart began to beat with excitement, as she spun through the dance floor, spinning gracefully, allowing her flowing skirt to spread out. 

Selphie and Irvine watched from different places and grinned mischievously. 

Irvine shook Rinoa slightly and pointed at Squall and Quistis. "Look, Squall's actually dancing!" 

Rinoa glanced at Quistis holding Squall's hand and threw a fit. "What is that whore doing, touching my Squally?!?! She's not good enough for him!!!" she snarled jealously. 

Irvine gulped. "But, Rinny, they're just dancing," he argued. 

Rinoa turned around to glare at Irvine angrily. "No one can touch my Squally but me!!! I'm the only one good enough to even look at him!!!" 

"But, Rinny –" Irvine began. 

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!" Rinoa squealed, kicking Irvine angrily. 

Selphie clapped her hands together happily as she watched her best friend dance with the dashing prince. As Zell stood next to her, she began, "They look so good together! I almost wish she marries him!" 

Zell glanced at Quistis and Squall and grinned. "Whoa!!! Does she know who she's dancing with?" he asked curiously. 

Selphie shrugged. "Dunno. They just met a few minutes ago," she answered. "I've been keeping a close eye on her like you asked me to," she whispered quietly, leaning her face close to Zell so only he would hear. 

Zell chuckled. "Heh, wouldn't she be surprised." 

Finally as the music stopped, Quistis finally opened her eyes and smiled. As a burst of applause erupted throughout the ballroom, Quistis glanced at her audience and bowed. She then turned towards Squall and curtsied. "Thank you for the dance, noble prince," she said, softly. "It was quite a thrill." 

Squall bowed and ignored the applauding audience. 

After a moment or so, Cid clapped his hand loudly, calling everyone's attention. "May I have your attention please? Thank you. Now, you are all gathered here today to celebrate my beautiful daughter's 18th birthday." Cid motioned his hand for Quistis to step towards the throne. 

Quistis smiled and walked towards the throne happily. Occasionally, she gave a small wave or nod to her guests as she swept towards her father. 

Irvine choked over his wine. "Sh – sh – she's _the_ Quistis? _Princess_ Quistis?! Yowza!!!" he whistled. "Man! If there were more babes like her here, then I'm moving in!" 

Rinoa continued to frown as she glared at Quistis. "Irvine! Please!" she snapped shifting her gaze towards her companion. 

Cid patted Quistis' shoulder softly before continuing his announcement. "As you know the legend, when the first child of the royal family reaches his or her 18th birthday, he or she receives great powers to protect the kingdom. I am proud to say that my daughter will now inherit the powers granted to her from birth," he announced. He then turned towards Quistis and smiled, taking her hands in his. "This is it, Angel. You will be given the burden of Balamb on your shoulders. Are you ready for this?" 

Ignoring the cheers and applause, Quistis swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "I'm ready," she answered without further hesitation. 

The room grew hushed as all eyes turned to gaze intently at the princess. The room darkened slightly, as a small and gentle glow began to emit from the Quistis' forehead. 

In a few moment or so, the small light quickly spread, surrounding Quistis in a silvery glow. 

Quistis gasped as a searing pain entered her body, causing the silver light to disappear around her. As she let go of Cid's hands, she discovered that her palms began to glow with a silver light before fading. 

As the last trace of the silvery light disappeared, the room began to brighten once again as the people in the room clapped or cheered on the princess. 

Cid smiled proudly at his daughter. "Be a good ruler, Angel," he whispered softly in her ear before Edea came and hugged Quistis. 

"I'm sure you will be a prize to any man who marries you," Edea whispered in Quistis ear before letting go of the embrace. 

Quistis smiled hesitantly at Edea and nodded to her father. 

Cid held up his hands as a burst of applause erupted throughout the area. "Settle down now," he said, allowing the guests to cease their loud cheers of excitement. "Although we celebrate my daughter's birthday, we also celebrated her betrothal," he continued, still smiling proudly. 

Hearing this, the guests broke out into hushed chatter as they looked up at the king with looks of confusion or disbelief. 

Quistis frowned and looked puzzled. She had never recalled Cid or Edea bringing up the matter of marriage to her. Not once had they even spoken to her about such important things. "What? Betrothal? Since when was there – " 

Edea raised her hand abruptly, cutting Quistis short. "Yes, your betrothal. Your father and I have discussed this matter, and we've decided that it's time for you to marry," she answered, placing a hand on Cid's shoulder. 

Cid nodded and smiled. "Edea's right, Angel. We both think it's time for you to marry to produce another heir to inherit your powers," he agreed, sipping from his wine glass. "So, you should either marry a prince or a king. Either one of them should be good enough to attain the royal blood." 

Irvine snapped his fingers in disappointment. "Damn, that puts me out of the running of – Whoa!" he exclaimed suddenly, as he spotted a beautiful girl dressed in long, yellow gown. "Damn she's HOT!!" 

Squall and Rinoa glanced curiously at the girl Irvine was staring at and raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. 

Selphie, dressed in a shimmering yellow gown, ran up towards the throne and stood at Quistis' side, followed by the troubled Zell. 

Zell had the same look as Quistis. Obviously he had no idea of Quistis being betrothed. "What the hell is this all about? Quisty's not even ready for this. Are you, Quisty?" he asked. 

Selphie nodded her head in agreement, too shocked to say anything else. 

Quistis continued to scowl. "But…but I hardly know anyone," she protested. 

"That's why we've chosen for you," Edea answered, smiling cheerfully. 

"You've what?" Quistis, Zell, and Selphie clamored in unison. 

Cid nodded. "Angel, your mother and I have put a lot of thought about this. So we've decided that there can only be one man worthy for your hand," he began as Edea motioned a hand towards someone. 

Edea smiled. "Yes, we've decided that the only man worthy of your love is Seifer," she continued as Seifer approached, grinning slightly. 

"Seifer?!" Selphie and Zell blurted out in alarm. 

"Yes, Seifer," Cid answered. He took Quistis' right hand and placed it in Seifer's grasp. "He is a fine and excellent young gentleman. His skills with fighting are exquisite! Who better to protect you than Seifer, Angel." 

Quistis gaped at Seifer. The words in her throat refused to come out as Seifer brought her hand up to his lips. 

"I see that she is speechless with the engagement," Seifer sneered, a small smirk touching the corner of his upper lip. 

Edea and Cid smiled at Quistis then at Seifer. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful bride," Edea added, before signaling for the party to go on. 

Quistis pulled her hands away from Seifer and continued to scowl. 

Seifer nudged her gently on the ribs and grinned. "Don't worry, you'll get used to me," he muttered. 

Zell gave Seifer a dangerous look before Selphie gave him a hard jab in the stomach. "Don't ruin another party with that temper of yours," Selphie scolded. 

"Hmph!" Zell looked around at the guests and noticed Squall desolating himself from Rinoa. Grinning widely, Zell rushed towards him and slapped his hand on Squall's shoulder. "Squall! WAAAAASSSUUUP?" 

Squall glanced at Zell and nodded, while sipping from his glass. "Oh, it's you," he answered dully. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" 

Zell scratched his head. "Yeah, I haven't seen you ever since that last engagement party they threw for you. So, you married yet?" he asked curiously. 

Squall emptied his glass before answering. "I broke off the engagement a week later. She wasn't my type. Besides, I don't plan on marrying just yet, maybe even never," he replied, setting his empty glass down on the table. 

"Heh, I knew you were gonna break off the engagement. She really wasn't your type. Too quiet if you asked me," Zell agreed. "In fact, I only remember her speaking one worded sentences to me. That was really creepy. So where is she now, anyway?" 

Squall shrugged. "She didn't take it so hard when I explained to her the news. In fact, she looked pretty happy," he answered. 

"You having any regrets yet?" 

Squall nodded grimly. "I should have married her when I got the chance." 

"Huh? Why?" 

Squall motioned his head towards Rinoa, who was pestering Irvine. "My parents are now forcing me to marry…her," he replied gloomily as Rinoa approached them. 

"Squally, there you are!" Rinoa exclaimed before throwing her arms around him. 

Squall made a face as Zell chuckled amusingly. "Squally? Hehehehe…Looks like you've got your hands full," he replied as Squall tried to back away from her grasp. He gave the prince of Esthar a pat on the back before adding, "Have a nice life." 

From behind Zell, Irvine chuckled also. "Zell, long time no see, buddy," the sharp shooter exclaimed, placing a hand on Zell's shoulder. 

Zell glanced behind him and noticed Irvine. "Oh, so you're still alive even after that little incident." 

Irvine nodded. "Heh, barely. I thought I was gonna die until I realized that if I lived, I'd be a hero and more chicks are gonna love me," he replied humorously. 

"Same old Irvine, I see," Zell replied. 

Irvine cleared his throat and glanced at Quistis again. "Hey, you never told me you had a sister." 

Zell glanced at Quistis who was chatting with Selphie and grinned. "You never asked. Anyway, you're too late. She's already taken." 

Irvine shrugged. "Yeah, well I wasn't thinking about her, even though she's a babe. Boy she is one hot babe. BUT! I'm thinking about that hot chick next her," he answered, staring at Selphie. "You know, her cute little friend." He began to drool slightly until Rinoa elbowed him in the ribs. 

Zell glanced at Selphie and grinned. "Oh, you mean Selphie." He looked back at Irvine then at Selphie. "Hey, Sephie, Quisty, come here. There's someone I'd like you to meet," he called. 

Quistis and Selphie glanced at Zell and then walked towards him, breaking away from their conversation. 

"Selphie, I'd like you to meet Lord Irvine Kinneas," Zell introduced as Selphie glanced at Irvine. 

Irvine bowed and held Selphie's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, pretty lady." 

Selphie's cheeks turned bright red as Irvine kissed her hand. She giggled slightly. "Pleasure to meet you, Lord Irvine. I'm Selphie, but you can call me Sephie, since that's what almost everyone calls me here," she replied. 

Zell pointed towards Squall and Rinoa. "And this is Prince Squall and Lady…uh…" 

"Rinoa," Rinoa prompted. 

"Rinoa," Zell finished. 

Selphie curtsied and smiled. "Welcome to Balamb! Quisty, come here. Don't stay too quiet!" The young woman grabbed Quistis' hand and dragged her next to Zell. 

"Quistis, meet Lord Irvine Kinneas." Zell pointed towards Irvine, who kissed Quistis' hand. 

Quistis gave a warming smile towards the sharpshooter as he kissed her hand. "Ah, so _you_ are the infamous Irvine. Zell often talks about and an _incident_ that occurred during your last meeting together," she said, a smirk rising to her face. 

Zell cleared his throat as Irvine turned a deep shade of red. "Oh well, _that_ incident! Well, you see, Zell often exaggerates when he tells his little stories," Irvine replied. 

Once again the Zell cleared his throat, trying to change the subject. "And this is Lady Rinoa," he finally said, turning towards the raven haird girl. 

Quistis glanced at Rinoa uneasily as Rinoa gave her a hostile look. "Pleased to meet you, Rinoa," she said politely. 

Rinoa gave her a tight smile before looking away. 

Zell raised an eyebrow over Rinoa's hostility before turning to Squall. "And I believe you've already met Prince Squall Leonhart." 

Quistis glanced at Squall and smiled. "Yes, we've met," she said, curtsying. "Hello again, I suppose." 

Squall bowed slightly. "Congratulations on the engagement," he said stiffly. 

"Um, thank you I suppose," Quistis replied, her face beginning to flush slightly. 

"Yeah, congrats," Rinoa sneered, before putting an arm over Squall. "We're engaged too. Shouldn't you congratulate us?" 

"Oh," Quistis replied, glancing at both Squall and Rinoa, "congratulations." 

At that very moment, Irvine's eyes grew wide. "Hey, Squall, look! It's her!" 


	4. Reunion With Love

Chapter 4 

Quistis, Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, and Zell glanced curiously to where Irvine was pointing. It was at that moment that Squall recognized who the girl was. 

"Who's that?" Selphie asked curiously, staring at the mysterious girl. 

"That's Squall's last fiancée, the one before Rinoa came along," Irvine answered. "Her name's Lady Fujin Sanada." 

Zell choked over the pastry he stuffed in his mouth. "Hack! What?! That's Fujin?! She's so…different looking. The last time I remembered her, she had both of her eyes!" he shouted in surprise. "Damn! What the hell happened to her?!" 

Squall shrugged. "That was six years ago. She was only eleven back then," he answered. 

Irvine gulped and nudged Zell. "Remember when you asked Squall how she took the news about the engagement being broken off? Well, obviously she didn't take it so well," he whispered quietly. 

As Quistis gazed at Fujin's pale face, she quickly looked away as the mysterious girl suddenly glanced at her. The mysterious girl's gaze had sent shivers down her spine, making her look away quickly. "Was she always so…stern?" she asked curiously. 

Squall nodded. "Although when I knew her, she was rather different looking, she was always stern and quiet. No one knows why, though," he answered. 

"Hmm, maybe she was just lonely," Selphie suggested. "Didn't she have any friends?" 

Irvine nodded. "Yeah, but not much. Usually she was always hanging out with only one of them though, since the other one was always away." He pointed towards the man next to Fujin. "That's Raijin. He's always following Fujin almost everywhere." 

Zell frowned. "This other friend of hers…who does it happen to be?" he asked curiously. 

Rinoa let go of Squall and crossed her arms over her chest. "Um, no one really knew, since he was rarely seen. But I think that guy she's talking with is that one," she replied in boredom. "He looks like that guy you're engaged to." 

Quistis glanced at Seifer and sighed. "He _is_ the one I'm engaged to," she muttered grimly. 

* 

"Yo, Fu, ya know. That chick Seifer's gonna marry is starin' at you, ya know," Raijin said, noticing Quistis look away. 

Fujin continued to stare at Quistis with her one eye before answering. "AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin answered, looking away. 

Seifer glanced at the beautiful Quistis and smirked. "She seems pretty interested in you, Fu. Why don't we go and say hi?" he asked slyly. 

Fujin shook her head. "NEGATIVE," was the dry reply. 

"Why not? I'm sure she'll be glad to meet you. Besides, if she were going to be my wife-to-be, shouldn't my best friend get the chance to know her?" Seifer asked, almost dragging her towards Quistis. 

"What about me, ya know?" Raijin growled, catching up with the two. 

"What about you?" Seifer mumbled. 

Rinoa frowned as they came towards them. "Don't look now, but they're coming this way." 

Seifer stopped in front of Quistis and grinned. "Ah, princess, nice to see you. I'd like you to meet my little posse," he said, gently pushing Fujin towards Quistis. 

Fujin gazed at Quistis unemotionally. Her crimson eye made Quistis' skin prickle slightly. 

"And this is Raijin," Seifer added as Raijin glared at him. 

"Pleased to meet you, ya know," Raijin said, extending his hand out to shake with. 

Fujin's eyes moved to glance at Squall, who was staring at her uneasily. "LEONHART." 

Seifer followed Fuijin's gaze and scowled. "Well, if it isn't Puberty Boy, the one who broke my little Fu's heart," he sneered in a hostile way. 

Fujin's pale face turned bright red in a second. "NEGATIVE!" she growled in her usual monotone voice. 

Squall glared at Seifer unemotionally. "…Whatever." 

Seifer chuckled amusedly. "Same ol' Puberty Boy, huh?" 

At this Squall didn't reply. He stood unemotionally, as everyone grew uneasy. 

As another waltz began to play, Seifer grinned mischievously. "Princess, care to dance with me?" he offered, extending his hand out towards Quistis. 

The princess hesitantly accepted the offer and glanced at her other guests. "Excuse us, please," she muttered, before being swept away in Seifer's grasp towards the middle of the dance floor. 

Seifer studied Quistis' moves carefully as she moved to the music. "You're a good dancer. The best I've danced with in a while," he complemented. 

Quistis' cheeks glowed red. "I thought you knew? Didn't you see me dancing with Squall?" she asked curiously. She continued to stare at his charming face, studying it carefully. 

"You shouldn't believe what you see until you experience it yourself. Where I came from, the things you see may not be real. I could be a dangerous GF," he began, "even though I look human. You may never know." 

"You're a strange one," Quistis muttered under her breath. 

"Hmph. I wouldn't go accusing someone you hardly knew, remember? Besides, wouldn't you be dead by now if I was?" he asked slyly. 

Quistis frowned. "You wouldn't be able to kill me if you were some type of monster anyway. Even if you did destroy the kingdom's defense, you wouldn't be able to kill much, especially one in the royal family," she replied. 

"Really? Is that so?" Seifer asked slyly. 

Quistis shrugged. "I don't know. It's just that way, I suppose. My mother explained to me the reason a long time ago when I was merely a child. I was young back then, so I don't remember much of the details," she replied. 

"So…you…don't…know…" he said slowly, his eyes focusing on her face. 

"No. I just know that it can be done. There's something special about the royal family, I guess." 

Seifer shook his head. "The only special one here in this kingdom is you," was his dry response. 

At this Quistis looked up. "What?" 

Seifer met her gaze and grinned. "Haven't you heard? Only those with the Trepe title can be the one to uphold the kingdom. When your mother dies, she passed on her powers to you. And…so will you when your time comes." 

"What if I don't produce an heir?" she asked defiantly. 

Seifer chuckled softly. He leaned forward so his mouth was very close to Quistis' ear. "That's exactly what they want," he whispered quietly, leaving shivers down Quistis' spine. 

Quistis frowned. "What do you mean –" 

Suddenly, the room shook violently. 


	5. Keys of Three

Chapter 5 

The windows inside the castle shattered, causing loud shrieks to echo throughout the grand ballroom. Chandeliers began to swing violently, before breaking off the ceiling and come crashing down on the floor. People began to panic, and started to run in different directions, finding an exit. After a minute or so, few guests were being trampled on in the chaotic escape from the castle. 

Cid waved his arms around to bring the citizens attention to him. "Wait! Everyone wait! Please, listen to me! Do not panic!!!" he shouted over the noise. Unfortunately, the chaos occurring drowned his voice. 

Irvine glanced up at the sky. "What's happening?" he yelled over the noise. 

"Quisty!" Zell shouted, frantically looking for his sister. "QUISTY!!!" 

Selphie lifted the hem of her dress and joined Zell in search for Quistis. "QUISTY! Quisty, where are you?" she called, trying to pass through the panicking mob. 

Rinoa shrieked and stumbled towards Squall as the glassy ceiling and chandeliers crashed onto the floor. 

Quistis desperately looked around, trying to calm to crowd. "Everyone please!!! Don't panic –" 

"Watch it!" Seifer grabbed Quistis' arm roughly, causing her to slam into him as a giant chandelier fell right where she was standing. The impact forced the prince and princess to stumble onto the floor. 

Quistis felt herself pushed forward on the impact as the crashing chandelier shook the floor. Suddenly, she felt her lips pressed onto Seifer's as she fell. Too stunned to move, Quistis' eyes grew wide in shock. 

Seifer moved away and looked up at Quistis. "…You okay?" he asked. 

Quistis nodded, saying nothing since her voice was caught in her throat. 

"Quisty!!!" Zell ran toward the middle of the dance floor and finally found Quistis on top of Seifer. 

Quistis looked up instantly. "Zell…I…I…" She glanced at Seifer then realized that she was still lying on top of him. 

"Quisty are you…?!" Selphie stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Quistis moving off of Seifer. 

The princess dusted her dress hastily and blushed. "I…It's not what you think," she mumbled, continuing to blush. 

Selphie breathed a sigh of relief and hugged Quistis. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern in her voice. 

"I'm fine," was the stiff reply. She glanced at the rest who were left in the ruined ballroom. The lovely princess noticed that Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Fujin, Raijin, Cid, Edea, Selphie, and Zell were the only ones left in the room. 

Cid and Edea rushed to where Quistis and Seifer were. "Angel, are you alright?" Cid asked, shaking her shoulders slightly. 

Quistis nodded, saying nothing. 

Rinoa groaned as she limped towards the center of the room. "What happened?" 

Edea looked up at the sky. "It's begun," she whispered softly. "They're going to come after her." 

Selphie looked horrified. "What? What's begun? Who's coming after who?" 

Irvine put a hand on Selphie's shoulder to calm her down. "Easy. Don't get a heart-attack." 

Edea looked grim. "On a Trepe's 18th birthday, he or she inherits their parent's power. But that's only half the legend. The rest of it was that one day, a Trepe would be born of great power, more power than that given to them by birth. This child had the power to wipe out the race of all evil when she or he reached his or her 18th birthday." 

"So you're saying that the evil in this world is coming after the Trepe?" Zell asked. 

Edea nodded. 

"And that Trepe would be..." Seifer added softly. 

"Me…" Quistis murmured quietly. She suddenly grew weak and collapsed without warning. 

"Quisty!" Selphie cried out. 

* 

The lovely princess slowly opened her eyes as the dim rays of light struck her face. Getting up, she realized that she was in her own room, lying down on her bed. "Wh…where…?" She looked at the peaceful room, as if none of the events from the night before never took place. 

After a moment or so, the doors to her room opened slowly, revealing Selphie. Selphie bowed then walked over to where Quistis was. "Quisty, are you all right?" she asked in a low whisper. 

Quistis rubbed her forehead slowly. "What happened?" 

"You fainted last night. It scared the hell out of us," Zell answered, walking in the room. "It looked like you were dead for a moment. What happened?" 

Quistis thought for a moment before answering. "I…I don't know. I guess I just blacked out," she replied, attempting to get out of her bed. She glanced at the two grim faces and sighed. "How much time do I have before they get me," she finally asked. 

"A week," Selphie replied. "But Quisty, that's not even enough time to produce an heir! You're too young!" 

Quistis looked at her calmly. "I'm not going to produce an heir at all." 

Zell leaned against the wall. "If you're not going to, we'll have to protect you. You have to survive the week," he responded. 

At that very moment Rinoa burst into the room, followed by Irvine. "You!" she screeched pointing an accusing finger at Quistis. "You did this to all of us!" 

Irvine held Rinoa back. "Rinoa, relax." 

"Quistis has the power to rid all evil! Why don't you just do it now before we all get killed because of you!" she shrieked furiously. 

The princess looked at her calmly. "I'm sorry, Rinoa, but you can't just cast a spell as if it were nothing and get rid of evil quickly. I don't even know what to do," she replied without any sympathy. 

"You have the power, so use it! You brought us all down with you!!!" Rinoa continued to growl. 

Quistis sighed, fighting to control her temper. "Listen, Rinoa, do you think I would have let all the evil in this world still roam if I had known the incantation for the spell? Wouldn't I have gotten rid of it all by now if I had known?" she snapped coldly. 

Selphie glanced at Rinoa. "Look, let's just calm down for the moment and think. We can't just jump into conclusions without even thinking about it," she said calmly. 

"Well hurry with the thinking," Seifer muttered, leaning against the wall. "The sky is beginning to darken. Soon the entire world will be covered in darkness." 

"You seem to know a lot about this Balamb myth. Enlighten us," Squall replied, glaring at Seifer. 

Seifer just grinned and glanced at Fujin, who was standing in the doorway. "Why don't you go ask her. She's the one who told it to me," he answered. 

Suddenly, everyone's eyes turned to the quiet Fujin. 

Fujin just stared into space and shook her head. "NEGATIVE." 

Zell looked thoughtful. "So, the Balamb Prophesy is true then." 

Quistis glanced at her brother. "You knew of the Balamb Prophesy, yet you did not bother to inform me about it?" 

Zell shook his head. "I only know the basic. The Final Trepe is true as you can see, since Quistis is the Ultimate Trepe who will rid the world of all evil. Then when the time comes for the Trepe's 18th birthday, destructive GFs shall arise from their seals and wreak havoc among the world. Then within seven days and seven nights, the world will be swallowed up in darkness. This shall be so until the seventh day, when the Apocalypse shall occur wiping out the entire universe," Zell explained grimly. 

"But did you also know about the Three Keys that hold the world's fate?" Seifer asked. 

"Three keys?" Rinoa asked curiously. 

"In order to change the world's fate, there are three people out in the world called the Three Keys. One is the Seer. Another is the Giver…and the last one is the Punisher. These three hold the key to the world's fate," Seifer said quietly. 

Irvine nodded, smiling to himself. "I've heard of this. My mother used to tell me this legend when I was young." 

Seifer scoffed. "Then I guess you know about the Three Protectors, those who protect the Three Keys. You see, the Three Keys are all woman." 

"Got a problem with that?" Selphie asked defensively. 

"The problem is that they weaken, and may be vulnerable," Seifer replied. "To prevent their destruction, Three Protectors were summoned to protect them from all harm." 

"So we'll have to not only find the Three Keys, but we'll also have to find the Three Protectors," Rinoa thought out loud. 

Irvine smirked. "No, actually, you'll only have to find two of the Three Protectors." 

Raijin looked at him suspiciously. "What makes you say that, ya know?" 

Selphie literally jumped in front of Irvine, looking eager. "S…so you know one of the Three Protectors? Well, who is it?" Selphie asked excitedly. 

Irvine continued to smirk happily. "You're lookin' at him!" 

"WHAT?!" everyone demanded, suddenly glancing at Irvine. 

Rinoa scowled. "Oh quit playing, Irvine! This is serious!" she growled. 

Irvine glanced at all the unconvinced faces. "It's true! Before my mother died, I remember her telling me that my destiny is to fall in love with one of the Three Keys, and that I was destined to protect her with my life," he explained. 

Seifer studied Irvine carefully. "So you would know the risks of protecting one of the Three Keys, right? Meaning you'll have to protect her at all costs, even if it means giving up your life," he said. 

The sharpshooter nodded. "I've been willing to give up everything for her, even if it means dying for her cost," he answered. Irvine glanced at Selphie and winked. 

Selphie blushed, looking away from his gaze. 

Quistis thought about everything that was just said silently in her head. After a moment of thinking she finally asked, "Where can we find the rest of these people?" 

At this Seifer laughed. "I'm surprised that you, the Final Trepe, wouldn't even know that she herself is one of the Three Keys," he responded. 

"…Me? I'm one of the Three Keys?" Quistis squeaked. 

"AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin replied. 

"Well, if you are the one who can rid the world of all evil, then I would guess that you would be one of the Three Keys," Zell said, chuckling softly. 

"But what must I do?" Quistis asked, looking lost. 


	6. Simple Thoughts

Chapter 6 

(Okay, I know it may be weird, but I didn't have any good bad guys. So I've decided to make the GFs as enemies. I hope this doesn't offend anyone.) 

Meanwhile, inside earth's dark side, stood the mighty GFs. 

Ifrit roared in frustration as he continued to pound on the seal that held all of the GFs. 

Shiva sat in the air, watching Ifrit carefully. "Calm yourself, Ifrit. Soon our time will come. These pitiful humans will soon taste our wrath," she said calmly. 

At this, the flaming GF turned to his icy companion. "It has already begun, the end of all human creatures!" he snapped. "Are we to wait here as captives?" 

There was a flash of light as the mighty Quetzalcoatl appeared. "Patience my fiery friend. Our time will come." 

Siren giggled, beginning to stretch. "Yes, and it will be splendid! But we must wait a little longer. The dark one hasn't fully awakened yet." 

At this Diablo laughed throatily. "That's right. The dark one has only awakened her other half. Soon, she will realize the fullness of her destiny, and she will free us all!" 

Carbuncle opened a sleepy eye and made a small squeak. "But in order for her to fulfill her destiny, she must choose the path of the light or the path of the dark," it pointed out, beginning to float in mid air. 

Suddenly, there was a fierce wind as Pandemonium arrived at the scene. "If she doesn't choose the path of darkness, we will all be destroyed. We will all perish by her will," Pandemonium growled. 

At this the icy GF grinned. "Not quite. You see, even if she doesn't choose the dark side, we will still have to destroy her. That is our destiny. If she does not master her powers, then we have no choice but to destroy her…then the earth…" Shiva said in her icy voice. 

"I tire of all your silly bickering!" Bahamat screeched impatiently. "We should already be conquering this pitiful earth, not discussing about useless matters." 

"Well, then you better be ready for this," Siren interrupted as a bright light began to surround them. 

* 

Quistis stared into space, thinking for a moment. "Me? One of the Three Keys? What do the Three Keys have to do with the Final Trepe?" she mumbled to herself. 

"Don't scowl so much," Zell said, stepping out of the room and towards the balcony. "You know how crazy you get if your complexion is ruined." 

The princess broke away from her thoughts and glanced at her brother. "Oh, I was just thinking," she answered, smiling weakly. 

"Here," Zell said, handing Quistis a plate of hotdogs. "Have a hotdog." 

Quistis looked at her brother uneasily. "W…what's this? My own brother finally decides to share his hotdogs with his sister? How shocking," she teased. 

"Shut up and eat," Zell growled, shoving the tray into his sister's hands. After a moment or so, Zell finally asked, "You nervous?" 

Quistis thought for a moment before answering. "I guess so. But if I'm going to have a Protector, I guess I shouldn't be worried, right?" she asked, trying to smile reassuringly. 

At this Zell nodded and left the balcony. As he stepped back into the room, he caught site of Squall leaning against the wall. 

"She sounds unsure of herself," Squall said softly so only Zell could hear. 

"Well what would you expect from someone put under so much pressure?" Zell replied, glancing at Squall. 

Squall shrugged. "It's not something I would be very willing to protect," he finally said. 

Zell stared at his friend in amazement. "So, you knew all along." 

"I've known about this ever since I was a child. It doesn't thrill me as much as it thrills Irvine though," Squall retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Are you willing to?" Zell asked curiously. 

At this Squall looked away from his friend. "It doesn't matter," he answered before walking away. "The future cannot be decided be a mere prediction." 

* 

Fujin stared into the mirror in front of her, beginning to concentrate. After a moment or so, the mirror began to ripple as if it were a liquid. Quietly, she began to chant under her breath, as she closed her eye. 

Suddenly she gasped as she saw a vision in her mind. 

**There was figure surrounded in darkness. The figure had her back turned towards Fujin, and was crouching on the floor. Suddenly, there was a loud shriek as the figure split in half, one side moving towards the dark side, and the other turning towards the light side. After a moment or so, the split figure slowly turned towards Fujin and smiled. **

Fujin suddenly jerked away from her vision as she felt someone gently touch her shoulder. 

"You shouldn't stress your powers so much," Seifer said from behind Fujin. 

The albino shook her head, puzzled by her vision. "Two…there are two of them," she whispered, staring in the mirror. 

"Two? Of what?" Seifer asked curiously. 

Fujin didn't answer as she shook her head. "NEVERMIND," she answered, regaining her composure. She brushed off Seifer's hand and walked away, saying nothing more. 

* 

Selphie sighed restlessly as she tossed small breadcrumbs towards the small birds in front of her. Normally, Selphie would be cheerful and oblivious of all the problems in the world. But recently, her cheerfulness has faded. 

Meanwhile, from a distance, Irvine watched the sulking girl and grinned. Slowly, he made his way towards her and asked, "Mind if I sit down?" 

The lady in waiting glanced up and shook her head. "Help yourself," she answered, patting the empty space next to her. 

The sharpshooter nodded and sat down next to Selphie. For a moment he stayed silent, thinking of what to say. "Did it hurt?" he finally asked, grinning mischievously. 

Selphie glanced at Irvine curiously. "Did what hurt?" 

"When you fell out of Heaven," Irvine answered, his grin growing wider. 

At this, Selphie's face grew hot as a blush crept up towards her cheeks. "Um…well…" she stammered, not used to being complimented. 

Irvine studied Selphie's face again. Apparently, he found her embarrassed face adorable. "Hey, can I ask you something?" 

"What is it?" 

"Do you believe in love at first site…or do I have to walk by again?" Irvine teased. 

Hearing this, Selphie chuckled softly. "If you're trying to woo me with your lines, then it's not working," she finally replied. 

"Why not? Don't you find me attractive?" the sharpshooter inquired. 

Selphie smiled at Irvine. "Well, I have to admit, you are very attractive indeed. Maybe even sweet on the inside. But I'm not interested. Sorry," she answered, patting his shoulder. 

"What makes you think I'm trying to make a move on you?" Irvine asked brazenly. 

"Because…because you're making things difficult, Lord Kinneas. Here we are, trying to protect the only person who can save the world, and you are trying to romance me with your…" 

"Charm?" Irvine finished, still smiling. "I know, it's a gift. The ladies love it." 

At this Selphie stood up from the marble bench, looking aggravated. "You see what I mean? I've had it. Good day, Lord Kinneas," she growled, stomping away. 

Irvine watched the frustrated Selphie leave before shrugging silently. 

"Well, that went well," Rinoa said, walking towards Irvine. 

Irvine glanced at Rinoa sitting next to him before leaning against the bench. "I think she likes me." 


	7. Quistis' Wound

Chapter 7 

The Prince of Esthar silently strode outside of his room and towards the balcony. Inhaling deeply, he thought for a moment. As he looked at his surroundings, he had to admit that the view of the ocean was exquisite. 

Esthar may have been one of the greatest cities in the world, but it still lacked a relaxing view like the one in Balamb. Unlike Esthar, Balamb was quiet and tranquil, while Esthar was usually noisy and stressful at times. 

As Squall continued to admire the view of the beach and the ocean, he noted a figure walking slowly along the beach. Taking a closer look, he noticed that the figure was dressed in a long, flowing, blue dress, almost appearing to be a beautiful sea nymph. 

Squall blinked the sleep away from his eyes and quietly made his way towards the beach, making sure he brought his Gunblade with him. There the "sea nymph" turned his way and frowned. 

"Sir Leonhart. What are you doing here at this hour of the night?" Quistis inquired curiously. The princess looked extremely gorgeous in the moonlight, with her loose hair flowing in the wind. 

"I should be asking you the same question," Squall answered. "With the situation that's happening now, you shouldn't be taking a stroll out here in the dark, especially without supervision." 

Quistis scowled at the prince, folding her arms over her chest. "What? Am I being held on a house arrest or something?" she asked. "I am still eligible to go wherever I please with or without supervision. I can take care of myself you know." With that she strode away. 

Squall sighed. "Why do I bother," he grumbled to himself as he followed Quistis. "Look, you don't know what's out there, especially at night." 

"Oh, and what do _you_ know?" Quistis demanded. "I've lived here all my life, I think I know whether or not something's–" 

The princess was suddenly interrupted as a loud, growling sound echoed throughout the night. 

"What was that?" Quistis whispered, taking a few steps back towards Squall. 

Squall unsheathed his Gunblade as he squinted in the dark. "Stay close to me," he whispered, slowly stepping back. 

Both nobles stayed in hushed silence for a moment or so, waiting for whatever caused the noise to emerge from the darkness. After waiting for about twenty minutes, both nobles gave a sigh of relief. 

"Alright, whatever that was, it's obviously–" 

Suddenly, a large creature jumped from the darkness and knocked Squall onto the ground. The monster snarled viciously, baring its teeth at the prince. 

Squall's Gunblade flew out of his hand and before Quistis' feet. "Shit!" Squall cursed, kicking the creature's underbelly. Swiftly, he landed a punch on its snarling face, causing it to back away with a small whimper. 

Quistis cursed silently, scolding herself for not bringing her whip with her. Quickly, she ran to retrieve Squall's Gunblade. "Squall!" she shouted, tossing Squall his weapon. 

Squall caught the Gunblade in mid air and swung it at the mighty beast. 

The creature roared in pain, swinging its paw at Squall, and throwing him on the ground. 

The prince winced as he felt a sharp pain on his chest. He cursed again as he saw his hand covered in his blood. 

Quistis looked at Squall in horror. "Squall, you're hurt!" she yelled, running towards him, despite the danger. Angrily, the princess glared at the roaring beast. "You!" she growled, beginning to glow brightly. Suddenly, a bright light shot from Quistis' finger and blast through the monster. 

The monster let out another loud roar as the light blast through him, killing him instantly. 

Quistis looked away from the dead creature and dropped to her knees in front of Squall. "Damn!" she cursed softly as she saw the large wound on Squall's chest. With trembling hands she tore the hem of her dress and wrapped it around Squall's wound. "Dammit!" she cursed again. "None of this would have happened if I had only listened to you!" 

Squall glanced up at Quistis and sighed. "Are you alright?' he asked softly. 

The princess nodded. "Look, you were wounded severely. We have to get that to a doctor quickly," she said, helping Squall up to his feet. 

Squall staggered as he placed his feet on the ground. Weakly, he glanced at Quistis and noticed a small streak of blood running down the arm she had used her powers with. "You're injured." 

Quistis glanced at her bloody arm and hid it with her sleeve. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a small cut, that's all," she replied, helping Squall back into the castle. 

* 

Selphie clucked her tongue in disapproval as she entered the room. There she saw Quistis laying Squall on a couch, trying to clean his wound. 

"Quisty, what are you doing?" Selphie asked, walking towards them and examining Squall's wound. "Here, let me do that," she offered, taking the bandage from the princess' hands and wrapping it around Squall's wound. 

Quistis sighed as she moved away. "He's lost a lot of blood when we got here. H…he passed out," she said, getting up from the couch. 

Selphie nodded. "Go get some rest, Quisty. Don't worry, I'm sure Lord Leonhart will be fine in the morning," she said reassuringly. 

Quistis nodded, walking out of the room. There she bumped into the one person she did not confronting her at the moment. 

Seifer had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. "Where were you?" he asked, laying his emerald eyes on the princess. 

Quistis sighed in frustration. "I went out to take a little stroll along the beach," she replied, turning around to look at Seifer. "I never meant–" 

"You know you're not supposed to be wandering about by yourself especially at night," he said, pushing his back off the wall. 

"What are you, another Squall? You two sound exactly alike!" Quistis growled, beginning to walk away. 

"Look, it may not matter to you, but your existence depends on everyone's well being! Think about it. You don't even know what the hell is coming after you," Seifer growled, walking after Quistis. "Quistis!" 

Quistis ignored Seifer's lecture and continued to her room. 

Seifer grabbed a hold of Quistis' hand and whirled her around to face him. 

The princess flinched at his tight grip. "Ow!" she yelped as blood began to ooze from her arm again. "Seifer, stop! Let go!" she begged, trying to free her arm from his grip. 

Seifer lifted her arm towards him and examined it. "This looks serious," he mumbled, realizing that the cut began from her shoulder and down to her wrist. "How did you get wounded like this? Your sleeve should've been torn if you were wounded by that monster," he said, continuing to study it. 

Quistis snatched her arm back in pain. "I…i…it's nothing, okay? I'm fine," she stammered, running towards her room. 

Seifer gave a sigh and swiftly moved in front of Quistis, blocking her way. "I want to know how you got that cut," he said slowly. 

"I told you, it's nothing! Now move out of my way!" she growled, trying to push the prince out of her way. "You're not my mother so stop putting yourself in my business!" 

"If that wound's nothing, then how the hell did it get there?" he growled, refusing to move out of her way. 

"I'm tired," Quistis replied, still trying to push Seifer out of her way. 

"Leave her alone, Almasy," Zell growled, standing from the doorway. "She doesn't need a personal stalker." 

Seifer reluctantly moved out of Quistis' way as he glared at Zell. "Well she needs to be watched carefully, chicken-wuss. She's not who you think she is." 

"What would you know?" Zell demanded. 

"Let's just say that I know more than what you know about her," Seifer replied, walking away. 

* 

Quistis tore off her ruined dress and hastily changed into her silk nightgown. With a sigh she plopped herself on her bed and squeezed her pillow tightly, closing her eyes. 

**Quistis opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by darkness. Looking around, she slowly rose from her bed. "W…where?" she mumbled, realizing that everything was surrounded in darkness. **

** The princess reached out in front of her yet felt nothing but air. Quickly, she brought her hand to her chest and thought for a moment. "If it's so dark, how is it possible that I am able to see my hand clearly in front of my face?" she whispered to herself as she walked to particularly nowhere. "Hello? Is anyone here?" **

** Suddenly, a small dim light flashed in front of Quistis, as a small, thin figure walked towards her. **

** Quistis squinted in the darkness, trying to see who the figure before her was. Unfortunately, the figure was completely shaded in darkness, appearing to be a completely black statue. **

** "Where am I?" Quistis asked the figure before her. **

** "You are in your dreams, princess. You are within your own head," the figured answered in a familiar voice. **

** "My dreams?" **

** "Yes…" **

** Quistis took a step forward and asked, "Who _are_ you?" **

** The figure shook its head quietly. "You will know soon enough. But now is not the time, princess. My time with you is running short. I came here to warn you." **

** "Warn me? About what?" **

** "There is great danger heading your way, princess. Be ready. Your powers are nothing compared to those who are coming after you. You must learn to control them, or else suffer the consequences," it cautioned. **

** "What do you mean? H…how?" Quistis stammered in confusion. **

** The dark figure slowly pointed at Quistis. "Know thyself. Know thyself well. For you do not know of what is to become of you, young sorceress," she said, beginning to fade. **

** Quistis attempted to run towards the figure. "Wait! What do you mean?" she cried out desperately. **

** "When the time comes, you will understand. But for now, I bid thee farewell, until another time. We will meet again, young sorceress." **

** "Wait!" **

Quistis snapped her eyes opened as she found herself grabbing nothing in particular. She immediately sat up from her bed and looked around. 

Everything around her seemed normal. The room was beginning to fill with light from the rising sun. 

"…A dream," she said quietly, feeling her forehead. "But it seemed so real…" With a sigh, Quistis rose from her bed and wrapped her white, silk robe over her nightgown. "I've got to get to the bottom of this." 


	8. Break Point

Chapter 8 

Fujin looked away from the large mirror in front of her, a small look of fatigue appearing on her face. Quietly, she strode out of the room and towards the Hospital Wing, where Squall was being nursed back to health. There, she walked towards the Prince of Esthar and examined his sleeping face. 

"Fu, what are you doing here?" Seifer mumbled, walking towards his small companion. 

Fujin looked up towards Seifer and shrugged. "THINKING," she replied, looking back towards Squall. Gently, she pressed a finger on Squall's forehead, muttering something under her breath. 

After a moment or so, she gasped, moving away from Squall. Seifer quickly caught her before she fell. "What did you do?" 

Fujin stayed silent for a moment. "MEMORY," she answered plainly. 

"What do you mean–" Seifer began. 

"Lady Fujin?" a young servant squeaked, entering the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you are needed at the Council." 

Fujin sighed and reluctantly strode out of the room, nodding silently. 

Seifer watched as Fujin left, while quietly thinking to himself. After a moment or so, he glanced at Squall, who was slowly opening his gray eyes. "I see you've come around." 

Squall groaned as Seifer's face came into view. "You were the last person I was expecting to see," he grumbled, clutching his forehead with a gloved hand. 

Seifer gave him a cynical look before replying. "Better believe it, Puberty Boy," he retorted, grinning mischievously. 

Squall sighed, raising his arm over his eyes in order to block the glaring light. "Ugh, what do you want?" 

"Don't act so hostile. I'm just here to check up on you," Seifer answered. "That a crime?" 

"…" Squall didn't reply, as usual. 

"Actually, I'm here to ask you a few things. Answer 'em and maybe I'll leave your miserable life alone." 

"…Whatever…" 

Seifer crossed his arms over his chest as he thought for a moment. Leaning against the wall, he looked up against the ceiling. "I couldn't help but notice that Quistis' arm was severely wounded when she came back here. It didn't look like any normal kind of wound. It seemed like something tore up inside her arms and ripped out of her skin," he said, remembering the wound. "You were there when it happened. What do you think?" 

Squall thought for a moment, picturing the wound in his mind when he first saw her injury. "…She said it was just a small injury when I saw it. Afterwards she hid it from me so I couldn't really inspect it." 

"Do you know how she got it?" Seifer asked curiously. 

"…All I remember was a powerful force shooting up from her fingers, killing the monster that attacked us…What's weird about it was that she was unharmed before and during the battle. I never let her out of my sight, so it was impossible for her to be wounded by that creature," Squall replied. 

Seifer stayed quiet for a moment, thinking Squall's words carefully in his mind. "…Interesting…" 

Squall sighed as he removed the arm off his eyes. Slowly he sat up and glanced out the window. "…Her body can't withstand the powers within her. She's going to explode if she continues to use her magic recklessly," he finally said, hiding any traces of emotion in his voice. 

"Hmph. You sound like you don't care much," Seifer pointed out coolly. 

The Prince of Esthar remained calm and emotionless as he glanced out of the window, staring at the clouds. "…My opinion doesn't count. I'm just basing this all on facts. I have no intention of getting my emotions into this." 

"What makes you say that?" the blonde prince asked, his emerald eyes sparkling with interest. 

"It's obvious that this power is new to her. She's got to learn self-control or she'll burst like a balloon. Plus, her body seems too weak to withstand her untamed energy," Squall answered, lying back down on the bed. "I don't believe that it something worth protecting…" 

Suddenly, Seifer looked up, his eyes flickering slightly, as if he felt a presence nearby. "Did you hear something?" he whispered, his sensitive ears ringing slightly, as if a loud sound had occurred. 

"…The door…" Squall mumbled, looking out the window once again, as if nothing was happening. 

With quick reflexes, Seifer quietly made his way towards the hospital wing's door. Whoever it was, he did not care, for he was sure to torture whoever it was in some way for trying to eavesdrop on him. "If it's that Chicken wuss…" he grumbled under his breath. Furiously, he hurled the door open, about to snap angrily at whoever was outside the other. Yet, before he ever had the chance to open his mouth, he stopped half way, too surprised at the person standing before him. 

A pair of blue eyes gapped at him calmly. It was Quistis… 

* 

"The barrier!" was the booming cry as there was a sound of glass shattering into a million pieces. 

Another blinding flash of light occurred, as the prison that contained the GFs shook violently. It soon began to crumble, disintegrating in an instant. 

There was a shrill cry, as Leviathan broke through the crumbling barrier first, stretching his long body so high s if he was able to reach the burning sun. Of course, he had not intended to stay out in the sun for long. He of course _was_ the ruler of the sea before his title was taken away from him and he was thrown into the hell they had called the "Sealed Underworld." His scales beginning to dry, Leviathan glanced at the once "Sealed Underworld" as his fellow GFs emerged. 

Siren was next to follow, her wings thrust themselves forwards towards the azure blue sky, unfolding in glory as she stretched in relief, her pale skin absorbing the sun's warmth. With a relieved look on her face, she bathed in the sun's warmth for a moment, a tinge of her color rising to her oddly pale skin. In the years when she had once roamed the world freely, Siren had once been an exquisitely beautiful sea-maiden, luring men with her sweet song to their deaths as they caught sight of her. Her long golden hair and her tanned skin had been her pride, until she was defeated in battle and was trapped in the "Sealed Underworld." Of course, the Trepe who had locked her up would have to pay. 

The Thunder God Quetzacotl broke through the barrier third, streaking the sky with a blazing color of neon. Bolts of thunder ran through his entire body, sending blinding sparks of light to fall towards the blue ocean below him. For thousands of years he had ruled the thunderous clouds and weather, sending forth the tempest storms and the destructive lightning as he pleased. When that power was taken away from him, he certainly vowed revenge. 

"At last!" A darkening shadow overtook the world, as two dark figures emerged from the Sealed Underworld. Diablo, accompanied by the massive Bahamut rose to the bright sky. Bahamut spread his colossal wings as he took flight, blocking out the sun's rays in an instant. Diablo let out a small chuckle as he calmly hovered through the air, folding his arms over his chest. 

As the rest of the GFs emerged from the hated prison, Shiva and Ifrit were the last to taint the sky with their glory. Ifrit let out a mighty roar as his claws unsheathed themselves, catching the light in an instant. A small ball of fire erupted from the giant beast's mouth as his roar carried throughout the world in one mighty echo. 

By the fiery GF's side hovered the Goddess of Ice, shimmering in radiant blue as her hair cascaded down to her feet the moment she lifted her hood from her face. A smile touched her lovely lips as she spun in the air slowly, allowing her hair to flow ever so loosely into the breeze. No matter how long she had been held captive in the depths of the ocean prison, she had somehow maintained her magnificent beauty, as she had always been thousands of years before. Tainting the world with a soothing blue color, Shiva smiled, floating up higher in the air with her arms spread out wide. "Well, we've managed to escape the Sealed Underworld. Now it's time for the last seal to fall…" 

Carbuncle peered its head from behind the giant Pandemonium and nodded in apprehension. "There's no need to worry about that…the Chosen One will awaken soon enough…" 

* 

"Princess!" 

Quistis found herself staring up at her fiancé, who had a very shocked expression on his face. Her hand was brought up in mid air as if she were about to knock on the door. "Sir Almasy!" she said in surprise, recoiling in defense. 

Seifer calmed down slightly as he looked the princess over suspiciously. "Hmm…a princess, eavesdropping?" he finally said, raising an eyebrow. "Bit of a step down isn't it?" 

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, Sir Almasy. I was merely here to check up on Sir Leonhart," Quistis replied coolly, brushing past Seifer and towards where the Prince of Esthar had been lying. "Sir Leonhart, I trust you are feeling better?" 

Squall did not bother looking at the princess as his gaze continued to gap at the marble ceiling. "…I'm fine," was the plain reply, as he placed the back of his hand on his forehead. 

Quistis gave a small nod, folding her pale hands in front of her. A small smile spread across her lips as she glanced out the window. Quietly, she walked towards the window and opened it, allowing a small breeze to rustle by. "Correct me if I am wrong but–" 

"Seifer!" 

Suddenly, the door to the hospital wing burst open as Rinoa, followed by Raijin came in. Seifer gave a loud yelp as his hand was crushed against the wall from the impact of the door slamming against it. Wincing, he glared at his friend and at Squall's fiancée. "Dammit! What is it now!?" 

Rinoa paused to catch her breath. Apparently, it had appeared that she was running for some time. "We…we were…" she began, her cheeks red and flushed. 

"We were walkin' and we were lookin' around, ya know," Raijin continued, also out of breath. 

Seifer looked at the two impatiently, massaging his bruised hand. "Spit it out already!" he snapped angrily. 

"Raijin, shut up! Let me handle this!" Rinoa snapped angrily, regaining her breath slightly. She glanced at Seifer, still panting for breath. "In the Council! It's Fujin! She's–" 

But before Rinoa could finish her sentence, Seifer sprinted out of the room as fast as lightning, not bothering to excuse himself out of the room. 

Quistis glanced at the direction Seifer had bolted out of, a small curious look on her face. "Something wrong?" 

"Something about the Council…" Rinoa began. "They say something's wrong with her…They sent me and this buffoon, Raijin, to inform you about it." 

Hearing this, Squall rose from his bed, an annoyed look playing against his cold face. "…The Council overreacts itself. For all we know it could be about something pointless…" 


	9. Rampant

Chapter 9 

"…Please reconsider this. This is what's best for the kingdom." 

Fujin sat motionless on her seat as she listened to what the Council had to say. Although an emotionless expression remained on her face, her hands resting on her thighs were closed into balls of fists. Hidden from sight, her pale hands slightly shook as she dug her nails in them, drawing a small portion of her blood. 

"We are only doing what is best for the kingdom. Therefore your powers are desperately needed," a council member said, his gaze fixed intently on the pale Fujin. 

Fujin did not reply, but instead remained motionless. No matter how hard the Council had tried to persuade her, she had always refused and denied the fact that she had a Gift. What good use would come of it if she persisted on telling them that she had no power whatsoever? 

Reading her silence as a response for refusal, Edea sighed. "Fujin, please. You cannot deny the existence of your powers. In order to save Balamb and the world we will need your cooperation," she said in a soft, wispy voice. "We must move quickly before the darkness takes over." 

"If you cannot cooperate with us willingly, we will have no choice but to hold you against your will. I'm sure you do not wish to be held by force, Lady Fujin," Cid added, a grim look on his usually cheerful face. "Although I am reluctant to say this, but we must use any force necessary." 

Still there was no reply from the pale Fujin. Instead, she shut her eye and stood up from her chair, walking away without making any noise. 

"Lady Fujin! Sit down!" Counselor Martin ordered, slamming his hands against the table as he too stood up. "Our discussion has not been called to a halt yet!" 

Fujin paid no heed to Counselor Martin's orders and made her way towards the large doors before her. Her hands now at her sides, she hid them with her sleeves. 

"Lady Fujin!" Counselor Martin cried out again, his voice sounding furious. Noticing that the petite woman made no response to his callings, he raised his hand in the air, pointing at Fujin. "Guards! Seize her at once!" 

With the sound of orders ringing in their ears, the guards that had been standing at the corners of the room moved from their place and rushed to Fujin, pointing deadly weapons towards her. 

"Martin! Stop it!" Edea growled angrily, rising from her seat. She gave Counselor Martin a menacing look as if she were about to order his head chopped off from his shoulders. 

Suddenly, Seifer burst through the entrance doors, Hyperion in his grasp. His emerald eyes flashed a hint of fury as he saw the guards surround Fujin. "What's going on here?!" he demanded angrily. 

Counselor Martin's gaze quickly shifted towards the furious Seifer. Angrily, the corner of his mouth twitched as he burst out in fits of fury. "Who is this man?! Get him out! I want order here! I want order in the Council! And I want it at once!" he glowered. 

"Seifer!" Edea exclaimed, jumping slightly when the doors had been thrown open so suddenly. 

Seifer's menacing look narrowed suspiciously as he shot a hot glare at Counselor Martin. "Counselor Martin," he said coolly, his emerald eyes twinkling dangerously. "I should've guessed…" 

Martin returned the cool gaze Seifer shot him before turning to glance at Edea. "I take it that this is the future king of Balamb?" he sneered cruelly, shooting his attention back at Seifer. 

Seifer's expression remained still, although his eyes narrowed once again. 

Ignoring Seifer's dangerous glare, Martin went on. "Forgive my comments, your majesties, but I believe that your _son_ needs to be taught some discipline. _We_ have an important matter to discuss. We do not have time for some silly boy barging into matters that need not be his business. This is a High Council. There is no room for silly games." 

Trying to avoid any more conflicts, Cid cleared his throat, a stern look on his face. "That will do, Martin. Sit back down. We don't need a big confrontation in this matter. Now, if you don't mind, Seifer, we would like to continue this meeting." 

Unfortunately, Seifer ignored Cid's request, as he rested the back of his gunblade on his shoulder. "Oh is it? I was taught that High Councils were meetings that only involved those who hold power among the nations. I was led to believe that they were well mannered and not ill tempered," he said loudly. "But, you have proven me wrong, Counselor Martin." 

At that moment, the room broke out into quiet murmurs, including Edea's harsh whisper. A look of disapproval suddenly rose to her face. Martin looked as if he had been punched in the gut. Rising angrily, he slammed his hands on the table. 

"I beg your pardon!" Martin growled. 

"It is against the code of chivalry to hold anyone, especially young women against their will. Perhaps you should be taught _that_ instead of wasting the Council's time with your ridiculous antics," Seifer snapped. Turning to look at Fujin, he mumbled, "Let's go," and headed out of the room. 

Fujin silently followed, not bothering to look back. Trying hard not to smile, she gave a sigh of relief. Thankfully for Seifer, she wasn't forced to do anything she was reluctant to do. "MY THANKS," she said in her low monotone voice. 

Seifer nodded quietly, thinking for a moment. "Don't worry about it. Just be careful. That Martin's not to be taken lightly. From the looks of it, I don't think that guy's going to give up on you…" 

Fujin nodded silently, hoping that Seifer was wrong. 

* 

The dinner that had taken place that very night seemed quite solemn. Almost every face in the room held a grim look. Occasionally, one or two people would glance at Quistis, giving her a sympathetic look before looking away. 

Quistis, trying hard not to notice the odd silence, attempted to start conversation, although to no avail. Squall would merely shrug or give his usual "…Whatever" comments, and Seifer was sent away by Edea for embarrassing Counselor Martin. Meanwhile, Rinoa had refused to come near or have a pleasant conversation with Quistis, saying that she had better things to do. Obviously, Quistis surely could not depend on Zell for even a small bit of discussion after all the food he had shoved into his mouth, and there was no way she came even near to a conversation with Raijin, who appeared to be brooding to himself. Fujin was nowhere to be seen and was most likely keeping Seifer company. Not even Selphie was anywhere near Quistis to start up a tête-à-tête, due to the fact that she had been avoiding Irvine and his lame pick-up lines. 

Soon, the feast turned out to be a long and torturous night for the young princess, as she sat where she was, picking at her food in silence. Drumming her fingers irritably against the wood, she caught sight of a few people giving her looks of pity. Tired of this monotonous juncture, Quistis placed her fork against her plate as she stood up from her chair. 

"Quistis, where are you going?" Cid asked, jumping slightly to the sudden noise. 

Quistis walked away coolly from the dinner table as she headed for her room. "I'm going to a place where no one's going to look at me as if I had died!" she replied tartly, opening the door in front of her and slamming it shut on her way out. 

Attempting to keep her cool while rushing through the halls, she failed to notice a petite figure slowly emerging from a corner leading to the castle's High Tower. With a small yelp, Quistis bumped against the wall from the impact. 

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, Fujin. I did not see you there," the princess apologized, spotting Fujin on the floor. With a quick movement, Quistis offered a hand to Fujin. 

The crimson-eyed princess refused to take Quistis's hand as she rose from the marble floor herself. "DON'T BOTHER," she said coolly, walking away back towards the High Tower. Suddenly, she stopped halfway and turned back to look at Quistis. With a small nod of her head, she motioned Quistis to follow her. 

Although unsure, Quistis thought it best to pursue Fujin, hoping she would discover something useful about herself. In silence, she and the crimson-eyed princess climbed the steps of the High Tower, wondering what Fujin could possibly want with her being in the High Tower. 

The Lady Leila, Late Queen of Balamb, had once owned the tower. She had used the tower for her purposes of training her daughter the art and skill of sorcery. It had been there that she had so slowly passed away, her beloved children clinging onto her in desperation to keep her alive. Ever since that day, Quistis had refused to set foot into the High Tower, not wanting to remember the painful memory of a mother that had left her when she was still a child. 

Snapping out of her reverie, Quistis shook her head. She brushed the thoughts of her mother away, scolding herself for bringing up an issue she had vowed to leave forgotten. "…That was ten years ago…No need to think about it…" she scolded herself softly as she entered the dusty tower. 

Fujin closed the door of the tower behind her in a swift manner. Before speaking, her crimson eye searched the room carefully; making sure nothing was capable of eavesdropping on them. When she was satisfied, she turned to look at Quistis, an emotionless gaze held on her ivory face. 

"What is it?" 

Fujin stayed silent for another long moment. Then she strode towards a ragged curtain blocking out the view of the outside world. Taking a deep breath, Fujin threw the curtains open and pointed out towards the horizon. "OBSERVE," she said in her dull, monotone voice. 

Slowly, Quistis walked towards the window and stared out into the horizon. Although it was unclear, she quickly realized what Fujin was pointing to and gasped. Earlier that day when she had visited Squall in the hospital wing, Quistis had seen dark clouds rising from the horizon. Quistis had believed that a storm was approaching. 

But from what Fujin had shown her, Quistis was greatly mistaken. For the "dark clouds" she had seen were clearly large puffs of smoke coming from the Earth itself. It appeared that there had been some kind of eruption that had caused the black smoke to rise from the ground. 

"What is that?" Quistis asked in a firm whisper, her blue eyes staring at the rising smoke. 

Fujin thought for a moment before replying. "BARRIER. TERMINATED," she finally replied. 

"Terminated? Do you mean the _Underworld Prison_?" Quistis asked, squinting through the darkness in order to get a better view of the black smoke. 

The crimson-eyed princess gave a nod. She turned to look at Quistis, her gaze firm and piercing. It somewhat resembled that of Seifer's when he became serious. "GF's…SEARCHING. TREPE." 

Suddenly, as if a brick had hit Quistis, her face paled with shock. "That means…" 

* 

Seifer leaned against a marble column, his head rested against the cold marble as he closed his eyes. Trying hard not to think about his growling stomach, he tried to clear his mind in preparation for meditating. 

**"You like her, don't you?" **

** Seifer turned his head towards where a petite figure was standing. At first he remained silent, as he fixed his gaze straight at the glaring crimson eye. Finally, he looked away, shrugging. "What does it matter?" he replied, tossing a pebble towards the ocean. Quietly, he watched as his pebble skipped far away into the blue ocean. **

** There was a long moment of silence. Only the rustling of the wind and the rhythm of the ocean could be heard for a long time. **

** Finally, the petite figure slowly strode to Seifer's side, her hands clasped behind her back. Gazing far off into the distance, she replied, "You're a very bad liar, you know." **

** Seifer turned to gaze at his friend. As he looked at her, he could not read her expression, for her silvery hair covered her. Quietly, he merely observed his friend, watching her hair flow gently into the wind. **

** The figure gave a small smile, although her lips trembled in difficulty. She had not been used to smiling. Turning to look at Seifer, the corner of her mouth curved into a small grin. "That's okay. You don't have to answer…" **

** Seifer remained silent for a long time. His emerald eyes stared upon his pale friend, as he studied her carefully. "You pick a funny way of being jealous." **

** The figure let out a soft chuckle. "Really? I thought jealousy was the way you acted with my last engagement…" **

There was a small growling sound emerging quietly from behind the blonde prince. 

Snapping out of his reverie, Seifer slowly turned around. As he moved, he could feel hot breath against his neck. 

The mysterious growl sounded once again, although it seemed louder than the first time. 

Turning to face the creature, Seifer found himself face to face with a strange beast appearing to be some sort of a lion. Swearing under his breath, he scolded himself for being caught off guard. "Nice, kitty," he mumbled softly, edging away from the growling creature. 

Unfortunately, Hyperion was nowhere in reach for Seifer. Instead, the Gunblade rested inside its case at the foot of his bed. To make matters worse, in order for Seifer to reach his precious Gunblade, he had to find a way to get past the growling beast. 

The beast bared its teeth at the blonde prince. It's sharps fangs, coated with dripping saliva, readied themselves as if to attack. The creature then lowered its head, although it kept its eyes focused on Seifer. 

Guessing that the creature was getting ready to pounce, Seifer eyed his Gunblade, preparing himself to leap forward towards Hyperion. 

Suddenly, the beast leaped quickly into the air, its sharp claws unsheathing and heading towards Seifer. In an instant, the blonde prince quickly dodged the claws as he leaped to his side. Taking advantage of this, Seifer then sprang across the room, running towards his Gunblade. 

Unfortunately, the creature was much too quick for the blonde's liking. Before Seifer was able to throw open the lid of the Gunblade case, the beast had wound its tail around his foot, dragging him away from the weapon. 

"Blasted beast!" Seifer cursed, trying to kick away the tail wrapped around his leg. In a struggle of desperation, he stretched his hand forward, trying his best to reach the black case that held Hyperion. His fingers so close to reaching the case, Seifer gritted his teeth. If only the creature would loosen its grip… 

"Fira!" Seifer screamed, raising one hand towards the creature as he gave up reaching his Gunblade. 

The lion like beast gave pained yelp, loosening the grip on Seifer's leg. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Seifer pushed against the floor and threw open the lid of his Gunblade case. Snatching Hyperion from where it rested, Seifer quickly slashed it against the beast's chest as it leaped towards him. 

The creature gave a furious growl, cowering back slightly. Baring its teeth at Seifer, the creature took a few paces backwards, circling him ever so slowly. 

With piercing eyes, Seifer never looked away from the creature's gaze. In the back of his mind, he knew that the beast was not letting him off that easy… 


	10. Trouble at Corridor Six

Chapter 10 

Trouble at Corridor Six 

Squall gave a yelp as he stared at his wine glass. After gaping intently into the deep, red wine, his scar began to emit a burning sensation, distracting him from his thoughts. 

Irvine looked up immediately, his expression slightly concerned. "Something wrong, Squall?" 

For a moment Squall remained silent as he felt eyes turn towards him. Shaking his head, he felt his scar and quietly rose from his chair. "Please excuse me," he mumbled, saying nothing more as he strode out of the dining hall. 

A puzzled look on his face, Irvine, too, dismissed himself from the table, although not before he snatched a few pastries from the maids. Saying a brisk excuse, the sharpshooter hurried out of the room, keeping a close eye on Squall. As he recalled, the King of Esthar had often threatened him if he had not kept the prince away from harm. 

"Squall?" Irvine called, looking around the halls quietly. "Oh, Squaaaall," he called out, almost in a singsong voice. 

"I do wish you would stop doing that." 

Irvine jumped slightly as he caught sight of his best friend leaning against the wall. "Well you've got to stop showing up like that. You know how jumpy I get when people just do that," he growled, removing a pastry from his pocket and taking a bite out of it. "Hey, this pastry's not bad." 

Squall scowled. "Well if you're going to just stand here like an idiot talking about a _pastry_, then I suggest you go back in there and woo Selphie about it. You're distracting me," he grumbled in irritation. 

Irvine winced at Squall. "Ouch. You cut me deep, Squall," he said, before tossing the rest of the pastry into his mouth. "So, what happened back there?" 

Squall chose to ignore Irvine's muffled mouth chewing on the pastry. With one hand, he ran his gloved fingers over his scar, trying to recall what had happened previously. "…Laguna…" he mumbled nonchalantly. "He's worried…" 

Irvine made a choking sound as he failed to swallow the contents in his mouth. Spitting out parts of the pastry that he had not swallowed, Irvine leaned against the wall as he pounded on his chest. "…The…The king?!" he cried with great difficulty as he continued to cough away the pastry he had choked on. "Wh…what…What did he say?!" 

"Nothing really," Squall answered, shrugging. "It's not like he's psychic. Laguna's not very good at telepathy either. All I'm certain of is that he's worried about me most likely. Whenever my scar hurts, it's Laguna trying to reach me." 

Irvine's worried look changed into a serious one. "Wait a minute…If Laguna's trying to reach you, but can't get to you…That means…" 

Squall nodded, glancing out the window. "He's coming to Balamb…" 

* 

The room was quiet as intensity filled the air. Sitting on a chair that leaned against a small table, Selphie had her hand propped up against her chin. With her other hand, she held five cards, which she glanced at carefully. "Humph, 'Angel fall from the sky.' Pffft! Who does he think he is!" she grumbled slamming her cards against the table, making it shake. 

Zell inhaled sharply as he once again lost to Selphie in a game of poker. "Relax, Seph. It's one line. I don't see any harm in that," he said, handing Selphie the card deck. 

Selphie snatched the deck absent-mindedly from the table. "What a line! Does he even _think_ I would fall for such a line! I've seen clowns with better ones!" she snarled, cutting the deck and reshuffling it vigorously. 

Raijin and Zell gulped as they watched Selphie literally throw the cards at them when she finished shuffling. 

Raijin leaned close to Zell, quietly whispering, "I don't think we should have made her shuffle, ya know." 

Zell nodded. "I agree," he whispered back quietly. "Good thing she's upset. Otherwise she'd notice that we owe her over a thousand G." 

Because she had been angrily muttering about her encounter with Irvine, Selphie failed to notice Raijin and Zell whispering about her. "…I mean, just because I'm some lady-in-waiting does not mean I'm some bubble-headed girl who'd fall for a line," she continued to grumble angrily. 

Wanting Selphie to shut up, Zell tried to agree with her argument. Little did he know that he had only made things worse. "Sephie, why don't you just forget about Irvine? Don't let him get to you. That's a normal thing for him, to be flirting with girls…" 

At this, Selphie threw her cards down on the table, making it shake violently. "Why that…that _playboy_! Does he think I'm _that_ easy?! Does he think I would be just another one of those…_girls_?!" she suddenly growled. 

In the meantime, Raijin backed away quickly from the table, avoiding any harm Selphie might inflict during her rage. 

"Do _you_ think I'm that easy, Zell?" Selphie finally asked, turning towards Zell. Her usually cheerful face was twisted into a death glare. 

Zell gulped as he stared at his childhood friend uneasily. "Well…I…erm…um…No!" he said quickly before Selphie could explode into another rage. "No, Selphie! Of course you're not easy!" 

"Of course I'm not–" 

Before Selphie was able to finish her sentence, a loud crashing noise was heard, diverting her attention. Raijin and Zell also rose to their feet as the crashing noise echoed throughout the halls. 

"What in the world?" Selphie mumbled, tossing her cards towards the table and running out of the room. Behind her trailed Zell and Raijin, their money problems long forgotten. 

"It's coming from one of the desolated corridors," Zell said, picking up the pace as he rushed in front of Selphie. 

For a moment, Raijin remained silent as he thought carefully who had been staying at the guests' corridors. He remembered Cid mentioning that the desolated corridors were hardly used for anything, although there were a couple of extra rooms fit for any noble. "Which corridor, ya know?" 

Selphie thought for a moment as she followed Zell through the narrow hallways. "…The sound appeared to have come from one of the fancy rooms…" she muttered thoughtfully, her face forming a small scowl. "Well there's only one corridor in the desolated area that would hold any noble rooms…And that's…Corridor Six." 

"Seifer!" Raijin growled, zooming past Zell and Selphie. As quickly as possible, he tore through the corridors until he found Corridor Six. As it turned out, Selphie had been right about Corridor Six. The minute Raijin arrived at the scene, he caught sight of his best friend struggling to stay away from a large creature. 

Seifer held his Gunblade with both hands as he tried to push away the creature's fangs from sinking into him. To his surprise, the creature was a lot stronger than he had predicted. "Blast it!" 

In an instant, Raijin whipped out his metal rod strapped to his pants and held them in the air. With a fierce cry, he launched his rod against the creature's skull, distracting it from eating Seifer. 

Taking the distraction to his advantage, Seifer kicked the beast off of him and jumped to his feet. He gave a grateful grin to Raijin and swung Hyperion readily into the air. "What took you so long?" 

Raijin returned the grin. "A poker game, ya know," he retorted, spinning his rod dangerously into the air. 

"Well let's just hope your fighting skills aren't as bad as your gambling," Seifer scoffed, watching the monster readying itself for another attack. 

The beast suddenly charged, although its attack was focused neither on Seifer nor Raijin. 

"What's going on he – WHOA!!!!" Zell yelped, as he was knocked onto the floor. Apparently, the creature chose to land on his chest. As a reflex, Zell immediately punched at the monster with all his might. Luckily, he had slipped on his spiked knuckle gloves earlier when he had been training. 

The beast wailed in pain as it backed away from Zell. It then began to snarl, baring its teeth in a ravenous growl. 

"Here it comes!" Seifer warned, watching as the monster slashed its way towards him. Again Seifer wound his Gunblade deeply into the monster's side, sending a deep gash at the side of its belly. 

Surprisingly, the creature remained alive; the look in its eyes still gleamed with ferocity. 

"Damn it! Why don't you just die?!" Seifer growled, watching as the creature continued to attack. 

"It's Spirit Creature! You have to stab it directly where the heart beats, otherwise it'll still survive!" Selphie yelled, arriving at the scene. 

Taking Selphie's advice, Zell called to Seifer. "Hey, Raijin and I will distract it. You take the open shot!" he said, glancing at the monster. Zell then motioned his head to Raijin, giving him a signal. 

"Hey, ugly!" Raijin screamed, thrusting his rod against the creature's skull. "Over here, ya know!" 

The creature snarled, backing away from Raijin's metal rod. With an angry roar, it found a new target to prey upon. To everyone's shock, the creature suddenly charged at Selphie, who appeared to be unarmed at the moment. 

"Selphie!" Zell shouted, trying to run towards his childhood friend. "Get out!" 

Watching the creature jump into the air and fling itself towards her, Selphie instantly withdrew something under her dress. In a split second, the creature was sent flying backwards into the air, as if a great force had struck it. 

"Don't mess with me, I'm in no mood," the small brunette said in a low, dangerous growl. In her hands, she held out a nun-chuck. From the looks of it, Selphie _was_ armed, and knew how to fend for herself. 

Zell's jaw dropped in surprise as he stared at Selphie in disbelief. In an instant, he clapped his hands together and swooned, stars filling his eyes. "I think I'm in love…" 

"There's time for that later, chicken-wuss!" Seifer growled, snapping Zell out of his love-struck moment. Glancing back at the monster, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward just as the creature leaped into the air. With a mighty swing forward, Seifer plunged Hyperion deep into the creature's chest, tearing its heart apart. 

The Spirit Creature fell limply against the floor. It's breathing grew ragged as it twitched slightly against the ground. 

Everyone watched silently as the monster continued to twitch in pain, it's breath ceasing. Finally, after a moment or so, the Spirit Creature stopped growling and grew limp. It's eyes closed permanently, and lay motionless on the floor. The creature was dead. 

Seifer gave a sigh of relief as he let his arm carrying Hyperion drop to his side. His other arm swept across his forehead, wiping sweat off his brow. He turned to look at Selphie, studying her for a moment. "What…the hell was that…_thing_?" he panted in exhaustion. 

Selphie walked over to the dead creature, looking over it carefully. "…Spirit Creature. They are summons called forth from the undead. Very high level magic. It's forbidden too," she replied, moving the monster's head with the tip of her boot. "Yeck! Looks like whoever summoned this wasn't very good. It's supposed to disintegrate the moment it dies. This one's still quite…solid…" 

"Spirit Creature?" Zell mumbled, thinking for a moment. He crouched forward, staring at the monster in silence. "Hmm…I thought you said they were forbidden magic." 

Selphie glanced at Zell and nodded. "That's right. Summoning the undead is very dangerous. It's totally against the law." 

"What for?" Seifer inquired, curious with the subject. 

Selphie thought for a moment, turning to Seifer. "Well, for one thing, it's a forbidden art. It tampers with nature's course. The dead are supposed to remain so. If the rule is ignored, it could set an imbalance to nature. So I've heard. Next, it requires a great deal of magic. There aren't many who can call forth a creature of the undead. The power is too much for even a great summoner to handle. It demands vast amounts of magic, and it saps away a person's magic quickly. Often, the summoner dies before even completing the process," she explained, her eyes stern with thought. 

Seifer glanced at the monster, kicking at it. "Hmph. That explains the rotting corpse. Whoever summoned this must have figured that it'd be better to have an incomplete summoning. After all, it almost came out quite efficiently…" he said, wiping his precious Hyperion with a large rag Raijin had passed him. 

"But who would summon that, ya know?" Raijin asked, wiping his weapon clean as well. "If it already requires a lot of magic, then whoever summoned it should be nearby, ya know," he pointed out logically. 

Selphie nodded. "That's right. So whoever created this shouldn't be too far off. But the only problem is…who would do such a thing? And why to you Seifer?" she asked, glancing at Seifer. "Clearly, someone has intentions of getting rid of you. It _did_ appear inside your room, right?" 

Seifer nodded quietly. "But what would they want with me?" 


	11. Nightly Activities

Chapter 11

Nightly Activities 

Irvine ran through the halls in a panic frenzy as he searched for Squall. He had been flirting with one of the maids when he realized that the Crown Prince of Esthar was missing…once again. "S…Sq…Squall!!!!!" he wailed, running all around the castle, searching for his best friend. "DON'T DO THIS TO ME!!!!! SQUALL!!! LAGUNA'S GONNA KILL ME IF HE FINDS OUT I LOST YOU!!!!! SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!!!!!" 

"Lost him again?" 

Irvine whirled around immediately to the sound of the familiar voice and sighed. "Ugh! It's you!" he groaned in disappointment. "Why does it _always_ have to be you?" 

Rinoa, arms crossed over her chest, gave Irvine a skeptical look. "Oh don't give me that, Kinneas. Just because we're stranded here doesn't mean you should ignore your duties," she said, walking up towards him, an evil smirk playing across her lips. 

"Oh shut up. I don't need to be reminded by you of all people," the sharpshooter grumbled, watching as Rinoa approached him. "Look, I don't have time for this right now. Have you seen him or not? If he's decided to wander about the whole area unsupervised, his father's going to use me for his next target practice when he finds out!" 

Rinoa shot the sharpshooter a skeptical look. "Slow down, Kinneas. There is no possibility that Laguna's going to arrive here. For one thing, transportation's been cut off. According to this whole 'Trepe Thing,' all transportation's been cut off from Balamb. There's no way anyone can get in here or get out of here," she explained, slightly irked. She gave a disappointed noise. "Ugh! Caraway will be so displeased." 

Irvine let out a sigh of relief. "Well, in that case, Squall shouldn't have wandered _too_ far…I hope." He tipped his hat towards Rinoa, giving his usual smirk. "Thanks a lot, cos," he said before jogging out of the hallway. 

* 

"What? A Spirit Creature? Here?!" Edea exclaimed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief. Her pale face was twisted into a serious scowl as her lips tightened firmly. 

Seifer held up a heavily bandaged hand and waved it around in front of his mother. His mother's worried voice hurt his ears. "Relax, Matron. We took care of it," he replied reassuringly. 

Edea chewed the bottom of her lip nervously. She rushed to her son's aid and felt his forehead quickly. "You're hurt! Your wounds should be treated immediately. You might be infected with something," she fussed briskly, unwrapping the bandages around Seifer's wounds. 

"Ouch! Matron – ouch! I'm fine! They're just small flesh wounds. That's all. Raijin took care of them," Seifer protested, wincing slightly from the touch of his mother's hand. Edea's cool fingers were no comfort to his newly made scars. 

Edea clicked her tongue in disapproval but pulled away slowly. "Very well," she replied, moving to sit on a chair next to Seifer's bed. Her gaze shifted towards the open window as she absent-mindedly brushed Seifer's hair with her hand. 

Seifer sighed, annoyed that his mother still continued to fuss over him. "…Maybe I'm trying too hard," he mumbled, resting his head against his pillow. His eyes studied the ceiling carefully, as if in deep thought. 

"Too hard? On what, dear?" 

"My duties. The GFs. Galbadia…" Seifer paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. It wasn't very easy to speak out his mind. Yet, Seifer's deepest secrets were always confided in Edea. "…Love, perhaps…" 

Edea smiled and turned back to look at her son. Her emerald eyes lit up into a curious gaze. "Oh?" An eyebrow rose up to an inquiring look. "And pray tell, to whom? The Lady Trepe, perhaps?" 

The blonde nobleman didn't reply at first. Although he had found the heir to Balamb's throne breathtaking, he was still unsure of his feelings towards her. Seifer _did_ take a small liking to her; after all, she was to be his future wife. Yet, there was also someone else he had favored as well. 

Noticing the odd silence from Seifer, Edea decided to study her son's expression carefully. "Yes…I deem the Lady Trepe would make an excellent bride for you. From what I've seen of her, she's intelligent, calm, beautiful…powerful." Edea paused in order to smile at Seifer. "A perfect match, I suppose. She is completely opposite of you…She will truly calm your fiery spirit…" 

Seifer remained silent. He didn't want his attitude "tamed." 

"Of course…" Edea added, removing her hand away from Seifer's hair. "Knowing you, there's something also troubling you about this subject. You have your eyes set on someone else, don't you?" 

At this, Seifer smiled ruefully. "You know me too well, Matron." 

* 

Quistis continued to stare out the window, a blank expression playing across her face. Although most of the inhabitants of the palace were already asleep, slumber was far from her mind. Earlier on, Fujin had told Quistis the situation dealing the GFs. 

"GFs. UNAPPROACHING. BASK," Fujin had said in her monotone voice when Quistis had been in the tower. 

"Hmph. That may be so, but it's nothing to be happy about," Quistis grumbled to herself, closing her eyes. Restlessly, she slumped against the window and propped her chin against the windowsill. She knew she would only have six days left to figure out a plan. But what could she possibly do? 

"SQUAAAAAAAAALL!!!!" came the high-pitched scream. It sounded desperate and exhausted. 

Quistis sighed and opened her eyes, glancing at her shut door. Not even her own room could block out Irvine's high-pitched wailings. "Looks like Kinneas hasn't found Squall yet," she muttered to herself, turning back to look out her window. 

Staring at the view before her, Quistis noticed Balamb Town was well lit with many lights. Distant music could be heard from afar, and there seemed to be much celebration. 

The princess smiled slightly. Even with the dangers ahead, the people of Balamb were still in a celebrating mood. It made Quistis envious. As a child, she was never given an opportunity to do what she pleased. Her childhood was filled with strict duties, limiting her freedom to occasional playtime with Zell and Selphie. Even then, Quistis never experienced many childhood memories. 

Sighing once again, Quistis turned her gaze back to the festive town. Yet instead of staring at the flashing lights, she caught site of a cloaked figure sneaking away from the palace. The figure seemed to be in a hurry and often looked around to make sure no one was present. This made Quistis curious. 

A suspicious look rising to her face, she rushed to her wardrobe and picked out a casual dress made for travel. A grateful gypsy gave it to her as thanks for Quistis's assistance. It was an orange dress that was made simply. The hem of it was slanted so that one side of the skirt would reach Quistis' knee, while the other side would only reach her thigh. Although sleeveless, it covered her neck efficiently. 

Hastily, the princess fumbled for a large hair clip, and clipped her hair back casually. She knew her father would disapprove of her informal attires, but she was in too much of a hurry to worry about her hair. Slipping on a pair of shoes, Quistis rushed out the door, throwing a cloak around her as she slipped out of the castle. She made sure to keep quiet, knowing that Irvine was lurking around the hallways. 

The small clinking of heels could be heard occasionally as Quistis made her way out of the palace grounds. Guessing that the mysterious figure would have headed to the town, she jogged towards it, trying to make as little noise as possible. 

Arriving to the small town, Quistis realized that most of the villagers were at the town square, celebrating. The festive music played on cheerfully, its tune bouncy and jovial. Laughter could be heard and children could be seen playing with one another. 

_~Hmm…Where could he be?~_ Quistis thought to herself, looking at her surroundings cautiously. Making her way deeper into the town, she came upon a small child huddled against a wall. Curiously, she bent over to the small child and looked her over. "What's the matter, little girl?" she asked, crouching down to the child's level. 

The little girl looked up from her sobbing. Her tears glistened down her cheeks as she stared up at Quistis. "M…m…my d…doll," she wailed through sniffles. "G…G…Gustav…h…he…" Her voice trailed off as more sobs erupted. Finding difficulty in talking, she merely pointed to something resting on the ground. 

Quistis turned her gaze to where the little girl had been pointing to and found a ragged doll. The doll appeared to be worn and dirty, and its head was severed off almost completely. "Oh, don't cry. There's no need to mourn over it. Here," she said, picking up the doll with one hand while reaching out for a handkerchief with the other hand. Pressing the handkerchief gently on the little girl's cheeks, she added comfortingly, "I'll repair the doll for you." 

The child stopped sobbing immediately and peered at the princess once again. "Y…you mean it?" she whispered, sniffling loudly. 

The princess nodded. "I give you my word. Now, dry these tears of yours and join your friends over there. It would be a shame to cry so much and waste celebration time." With that, she sent the little girl off to the festival. Surprisingly, a smile touched the corners of her lips as she watched the child go off into the distance. 

"_You_ have a way with children." 

Quistis whirled around quickly and found the Prince of Esthar leaning against a wall behind her. It appeared that he had been observing Quistis for a long time. "Oh, so _this_ is where you've been. Kinneas has been looking for you," she said, trying hard not to sound surprised. 

Squall's eyes remained expressionless. "Has he, now?" 

"Don't give me that. He was worried about you," Quistis snapped, beginning to scowl. Why did Squall always irritate her so? 

Squall met Quistis's cool, blue eyes calmly. Strangely, unlike Seifer's piercing glare, Squall's eyes held a soft glow to them, although it was encrusted in a frosty stare. "I needed time to think. That's all," he mumbled tartly. "I can't concentrate inside the palace walls. I needed to get out." 

Quistis sighed. How she longed to tell Squall about how she really felt with her duties. But, not wanting to trouble him, she remained silent and pretended to be listening to the music. 

Suddenly, the princess felt a shy tug on her cloak and looked around. It was the little girl she had met a few moments ago. "Oh? What is it?" Quistis asked, bending slightly to the child's level. 

"Come with me! Come with me!" the girl said, tugging on Quistis' cloak eagerly. She ran over to the direction of the festival and signaled for the princess to come follow. 

Quistis stood up straight and glanced at Squall. "Shall we proceed? Or shall I leave you in your solitude?" she asked coolly. Not waiting for a reply, she hurried over to the little girl, guessing that Squall would just ignore her. Squall was always the type who disliked everyone and kept to himself. It was clear that he would not pursue. 

But Quistis guessed wrong. 

Squall watched the princess walk ahead and followed silently. He kept his face still, but watched intently was Quistis was brought into the crowd of dancers. He observed how she was thrown into the cheerful dance the moment she had been spotted. 

Quistis, surprised at first was tossed from one partner to the next as the music played on jovially. To her shock, she began to giggle slightly, her head spinning around and around the never-ending dance. "Stop, please, I don't think I can dance another step!" she exclaimed through a fit of laughter. Releasing herself from her partner, she walked over to where Squall had been standing. 

There was a strange look in Squall's eyes this time. Something had changed slightly in them, although Quistis couldn't point out what it was. 

For a long moment, the two nobles found nothing to say to one another. They both stood in silence, watching the cheerful dance continue on. It wasn't until the music had stopped did the townspeople take their notice. Eyes suddenly turned to gaze upon Quistis and Squall in a curious manner. Many of the people smiled, while others held apprehensive looks. 

Quistis squirmed slightly, suddenly aware that all eyes were focused on her and Squall. "W…What is it?" she stammered nervously, beginning to blush. 

An old woman smiled and walked up to Squall, patting his shoulders. "Ah, so you're the one with the pretty lady. We thought it awful strange that someone as pretty as her could be wandering around all alone," she said kindly. 

Squall held a shocked look on his face as he turned a small shade of pink. 

"Oh, we're not really a couple, if that's what you mean," Quistis mumbled, continuing to blush. She could feel more stares turn her way, making her more uncomfortable. Oddly, she noticed that Squall was silent. 

The old woman laughed in amusement. "Nonsense! Look at the two of you. Picture perfect if you ask me!" she said heartily. Noticing the puzzled look on Quistis's face, she waved her hand in reassurance. "Oh don't worry, dear, we're not going to eat you! We would just like a dance with the two of you as the lead. Every year we celebrate the Crop Feast, praising the world for a wonderful year. And in every celebration we had, we would have a nice couple leading the Autumnal Dance," she explained slowly and carefully. "You two were so adorable together, we decided to have you two lead us in the dance." 

Squall looked as if he was going to be sick. Quistis's eyes bulged out. "Y…you can't be serious. I'm sure there's someone else to…" 

"Please, we insist. One dance, please," the townspeople pleaded, pushing Squall and Quistis to the center of the celebration. 

Before any of the two nobles could protest, they were facing each other in a dancing position. Quistis was staring wide-eyed at the prince, while Squall in the meantime, was turning an even darker shade of pink. Biting her lip, Quistis removed her cloak and tossed it aside for the dance. 

"I hope you know what you're doing," Squall mumbled silently to Quistis. 

"I don't," came the soft reply. Taking a deep breath, Quistis readied herself for the dance. She knew it was not going to be like the ones back at the palace. 

The music then began to play. It was a bright and cheery tone, unlike the waltzes in the castle. It had a certain bounce to it, as if it were a jig. Quistis jumped at the start of the tune, but decided to improvise. Her hands met with Squall's warm grip in an instant. 

Squall nothing of Quistis's improvising steps and skillfully followed. 

Quistis thanked quietly to herself that Squall was a fast learner. It was also good that the beat was bouncy, giving no time for chatter while dancing. Quistis and Squall found themselves sweeping around the large fire the villagers had made, perfect in step. 

For a brief moment, Quistis separated with Squall and found her arm entwining with another dancer–villagers had risen to join Squall and Quistis in their dance. She smiled broadly as she was swept from one dancer to the next, eventually sweeping gracefully back to Squall. 

Squall caught Quistis as she whirled to him and whisked her way, spinning her slightly away from him and then drawing her back. He and Quistis gave a final whirl, and the music slowly died into silence. 

Panting slowly for breath, Quistis and Squall remained frozen in their positions, both very close to each other. Squall had an intense look in his eyes, and Quistis fought to look away. 

Applause interrupted the princess's small discomfort, and she pulled away from Squall, a large smile on her lips. Squall pulled away as well, his knuckles quickly brushing against his dry mouth. 

Quistis looked slightly alarmed as she watched Squall. _~Had he smiled?~_ She was sure the corners of Squall's mouth rose slightly from their usual pout before they were quickly hidden by Squall's hand. The thought puzzled her. _~Did I make him smile? _Did_ he smile?~_

Author's note: Welcome to Mushville. I'm ready to kill myself with this kind of mush. ::shiver:: I woder how I'll be taking it when this fic is over? LOL. Tell me what you think!


	12. Pursuit

Chapter 12 

Pursuit 

"Something wrong?" Squall asked curiously, noticing the intense look on Quistis's face. He didn't like to be stared at. 

Quistis shook her head, keeping Squall's supposed "smile" to herself. "Oh…no. It's just that–" 

There was a loud clattering noise, and all attention on the festivities was quickly diverted to the noise's source. 

Squall squinted towards the darkness, his gray eyes glinting with a dangerous glow. "What was that?" 

It was then that Quistis spotted something in the darkness. "Over there!" she pointed out quickly. 

Squall sped through the crowd, towards a shadowy figure within the dark. Quistis ignored the danger of running with high heels and took off after Squall, forgetting to excuse herself from the puzzled crowd. Her thoughts completely focused on catching the hooded figure, Quistis didn't realize Squall stop abruptly, thus bumping into him. 

"Ow! Sorry," Quistis apologized hurriedly, taking a few steps away from Squall. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?" 

Squall shook his head, wiping sweat off his brow. "Whatever it was…it's gone now," he replied coolly. He stared at the alleyways and pressed a hand against a solid wall. "All we know was that he or she was wearing a cloak. I couldn't get a good look at the face." 

Quistis scowled slightly, her brows creasing as she thought. "Strange. I thought that was you in the cloak. When I was looking out my window, I thought it was _you_ sneaking out of the castle, so I went to follow," she explained in deep thought. 

"How could it have been? I left right after dinner," Squall answered, feeling his palm against the walls, as if checking for secret switches or buttons. 

Quistis's eyes grew wide with shock. "You mean, it _wasn't_ you?" she inquired, taken aback. She had been so sure the hooded figure had been Squall. The thought of it being someone else never occurred to her. 

Squall turned to look at Quistis, his face slightly puzzled. "No. I was here for some time. Then I saw you coming along. I didn't know there was someone else lurking around here, other than the villagers. I only saw you, no one else," he explained with a shrug. 

"I see…" the princess said, chewing on her lower lip. "Could it be a spy?" she spoke aloud. 

Squall gave no immediate reply. What if it had been someone sent to kill Quistis? What if that certain someone had purposely lured Quistis out of the castle, thinking that she would be unguarded from palace protection? 

Suddenly, another loud sound echoed throughout the alleyways. Squall jerked away from his thoughts and moved swiftly to where the sound had occurred. Quistis quickly followed, her heels clanking against the ground. 

"Watch it!" Quistis warned, spotting a swift movement wound its way towards Squall. 

Squall gave no reply but unsheathed Lionhart. With a mighty swing, he slashed at the incoming enmity, sending sparks as he hit the walls. 

Quistis backed away slightly, giving Squall more room to move. The alleyway was cramped. It was difficult for someone to fight with a short ranged weapon. With that in mind, Quistis drew out her whip concealed within her dress. If only there was more space for movement. 

"Hand over the girl, _human_," a voice spat from the darkness. 

Squall lunged forward, striking whatever it was before him. 

There came a rasping sound. As it continued, the sound changed into angry hisses and growling noises. "Out of the way, _boy_! You protect something that is not worth saving!" And with that, the figure jumped over Squall and landed gracefully behind Quistis. 

Quistis was ready for this. It was obvious that the figure would move or attack from above. It was the only direction to move properly. Whirling around quickly, she cracked her whip at the figure, sending it back in shock. "Back off, whatever you are!" Quistis snarled frostily. She cracked her whip against the ground once again, taking a small step forward. 

"Don't be foolish, _girl_. You can't possibly fight me. Not with these conditions," the figure hissed. His "hands" moved inside his cloak and drew something out. It appeared to be glowing daggers. "Now, be a good girl and _die_." 

Before Quistis could move, Squall grabbed her and swept her from the ground. He leaped back quickly, ignoring the princess's protests and jumped on top of boxes piled high to the side of the alley. 

"Fool! You cannot escape!" the hooded figure cried, kicking against the walls and landing gracefully on top of the roof. 

Squall placed Quistis on the roof and stretched his arm in front of her, as if shielding her from the figure. "Who are you?" he demanded, gripping his Gunblade tightly with one hand. 

Quistis remained alert, her eyes focused on her attacker. The figure appeared to be tall and lanky. Apparently, the figure was flexible and had a knack for moving fast. _~He uses speed to his advantage,~_ Quistis analyzed silently. 

The figure moved both daggers in its hand before its hooded face, crossing them. "You won't need to know. Now move aside, _boy_!" it spat with such hatred. "You know not what you protect!" 

"You're an assassin!" Quistis noted loudly. "It's obvious with your style. Who's your employer?" 

"Address me not, witch!" the figure snarled. And with that, it flipped into the air, attempting to land behind Quistis. 

Fortunately, Squall was much quicker for it and swung Lionhart against the glowing daggers aimed for Quistis. 

Quistis crouched quickly, leaning her hands firmly against the roof. With inhuman speed, she whipped her foot under the figure's legs and knocked the figure out of balance. She had learned the trick from Seifer when she had dueled with him. 

Squall immediately took advantage of the situation and pummeled his Gunblade's handle against the figure's head, sending it sprawling against the roof. He quickly retrieved the glowing daggers from Quistis's assailant and handed them to Quistis. 

"Curse you! Curse you human! You have spelled the doom for us all!" the figure rasped angrily as Lionhart inched its way towards its throat. 

Quistis lifted the hood of the figure and found herself staring face to face with a scrawny, young boy. "Who _are_ you? You're nothing but a child!" she demanded, gazing upon the shivering, pale face. 

"A child?!" spat the pale boy in an outrage. His voice did not suit him. It sounded like it belonged to a strange creature; the hissing of a snake. "You have doomed us all, human! You are blinded!" And with that, the boy writhed about, as if in pain. 

Squall and Quistis watched in silence as the boy disappeared, leaving only the cloak to fall limply onto the roof. A snake then slithered out of the cloak and rose into the air, wings protruding from its back. 

Quistis gasped as she watched the snake-like creature fly away. "An amphiptere! He – it was an amphiptere!" 

Squall lifted the cloak the creature left behind with the tip of his Gunblade, studying it carefully. "Aren't those the snakes with the wings? I thought they were timid creatures? It's rare enough to find one wandering about in the barren wastelands let alone find it in an occupied area." 

"Yes, that's true," Quistis agreed with a nod. "Amphipteres are shy creatures. They always stay away from villagers. But this one…well this one was quite odd…" 

* 

"Let me get this straight, the two of you decide to prance around in the middle of the night _without permission_ and then you come across some flying snake…_thing_…out to kill you?" 

Zell was pacing around the room at a furious rate, his gaze moving vehemently at Quistis and Squall. 

Squall gave a shrug, apparently unperturbed by Zell's hostile behavior. "To put it in stupid terms, yes. That's the idea." 

Quistis fought the urge to roll her eyes. She ignored Selphie's uncomfortable shifts next to her and gave a sigh. "Zell, don't exaggerate. You make it sound as if we _wanted_ to be attack." She retorted coolly, meeting Zell's hot glare. 

Zell's voice rose slightly. "Well it clearly seems it!" 

Quistis scowled, and the tension in the room increased. "Don't give me that tone, _brother_. You know as well as I do that I wasn't looking for any trouble," she snapped. "I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, and I think I can handle on my own." 

Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably, except for Quistis and Zell. No one wanted to witness an intense argument between the two siblings. 

Zell ceased his pacing. He ignored the uncomfortable movements around him and glared at his sister. "Oh _now_ look who's exaggerating! You make it sound like someone out to kill you is a child's game. Face reality, Quistis, you can't handle something like this. _I've_ been to war!" he snapped back. 

"Well _I've_ grown up!" Quistis retorted, raising her voice as well. "So stop playing 'the Hero,' Zell." 

Zell quickly fell silent, and looked away from Quistis. He sank onto a chair propped up against a small table and reached for a bottle of wine. Silently, he poured himself a glass of wine and took a large swig from his glass. 

Seifer cleared his throat loudly, trying to break the tension. "Perhaps there's a link…" He paused for a moment, waiting to receive everyone's full attention. "There were two attacks on the same day. Coincidence? Maybe…But what if these attacks are linked somehow?" 

Hearing this, Quistis looked troubled. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of Fujin fidgeting slightly. "Two attacks?" she asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?" 

Selphie looked grim, completely opposite of her usual optimism. "We weren't sure how to tell you…" she began slowly. "Around the time after dinner, a spirit creature in Seifer's room attacked him. It wasn't a perfect summoning, but it was still sufficient enough to almost finish the job." 

"A spirit creature? Here?" Quistis demanded, looking slightly shaken. 

Seifer couldn't resist as chuckle. "You're starting to sound like Matron. Not even she could believe such an illegal summoning could be performed in Balamb." 

"But a spirit creature," Quistis mused briskly. "The palace is protected by magic. Surely someone would have detected illegal summoning, unless…" 

"Unless whoever summoned the creature was away from the palace," Zell interjected, placing his glass onto the table. "Only the palace is protected. Leave its walls, and the barrier is gone." 

Raijin looked slightly confused. "But if the there's a barrier in the palace, how can someone send a summoning into it, ya know?" he asked curiously. 

"Well, technically speaking," Selphie answered, "the barrier only works against monsters attacking from the _outside_. Anything already summoned _inside_ won't be affected." 

The room fell silent, and Rinoa scowled, as if a thought struck her. "Wait a minute…that means that whoever had anything to do with the summoning couldn't be in the palace walls at the time being," she pointed out. "But that would mean…" She turned to look at Squall, an uneasy look rising to her face. 

"Hold on, are you trying to pin this one me?" Squall interrupted, noticing Rinoa's uneasy stare. 

Irvine shook his head. Instantly, he blurted, "No! Of course not! You're not capable–" 

"He's still a suspect, Kinneas," Seifer interrupted with a smug look on his face. He made no effort to hide his glee. "We have no proof of his innocence." 

Quistis stood up abruptly. "And you obviously don't have any proof of his guilt either, Seifer! As you recall, Squall was with me on the second attack," she argued in exasperation. 

Squall rose from his seat as well. "I don't need to be defended. I can take care of myself," he said coolly, leaving the room. 

* 

Quistis was one of the last people to leave the room. Sighing to herself, she rummaged through her pockets and found the little village girl's doll. Quistis remembered she had promised to repair the doll, and thus stood from her seat once again to leave the room. 

"Let me guess, you take comfort in that _thing_ whenever you're distressed." 

It was a mocking tone, and Quistis was well aware to whom the voice belonged to. "I thought you left, Seifer," she replied coolly, her back turned to her fiancé. Giving a sigh, she looked away from the doll and placed it back in her pocket. "No, this is not one of my possessions. I don't own such things. I am simply repairing this for a little girl I encountered." 

Seifer chuckled. "Awe, now isn't that sweet?" 

"Why are you still here, Seifer?" Quistis grumbled, slightly irked. 

Seifer gave an elaborate gesture of a mock bow, while wearing his sly grin. "Accompanying you to your room, of course. We wouldn't want you attacked, now do we?" 

Quistis rolled her eyes and walked away, not bothering to see if Seifer was trailing behind her. "Oh yes, why of course I'm delighted to have an overgrown oaf as an escort. That way, I know I'll be _completely_ safe from the clutches of the dastardly Prince of Esthar," she answered sarcastically as she walked down the halls. 

"Your sarcasm's amusing," Seifer replied, easily following Quistis. "But you read my mind." 

"Squall is innocent, Seifer. Keeping him as a prisoner and on constant watch is a ridiculous thing to do," Quistis snapped. 

"Maybe," Seifer answered with a shrug. "But if it keeps you out of trouble, it's worth it." 

"You're out of your league." 

Seifer caught Quistis's arm and pulled her back to him. "Am I?" he asked, losing the smirk on his face. "Twice you've been attacked while in Squall's company. While it may appear that he's trying to guard you, we don't know for sure if he's egging the creatures on. What if he's only set these situations up in order to win your trust?" he explained seriously. "You don't know what Squall's capable of. You don't know him." 

Quistis released her arm away from Seifer's grip. "Oh, and I suppose you do?" 

"As of a matter of fact, yes." Seifer gazed intently into Quistis's azure blue eyes. "I went to war with him. Squall, your brother, Irvine, and I were in the same squad. I've seen the way he is." 

"Well you're not exactly a saint yourself, Seifer," Quistis retorted, opening the door to her room. "Goodnight," she added briskly and slammed the door closed before Seifer could say another word. 

* 

"Squall…Squall…" 

The Prince of Esthar felt himself being shaken awake, and so jolted up from his bed. Sleepily, he peered at the figure before him. 

Irvine was pacing back and forth nervously on the floor before Squall's bed. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot. Every second he grew paler, and soon he became as insipid as Fujin. 

"What is it?" Squall grumbled, rubbing his weary eyes. He was never going to get any sleep if more monsters were going to attack. 

"It's terrible…it's terrible…" Irvine muttered under his breath as he continued to pace faster. 

Squall scowled, fighting back a yawn. "_What's_ terrible?" he demanded in irritation. 

There was a strange sound, apparently coming from outside. It sounded like the humming of a motor and raised voices. One voice sounded familiar, all _toofamiliar_ for comfort. 

Irvine jumped as he heard the sound, and scampered towards the window. He gave a small whimper as he stared out the window and immediately ducked out of sight. 

Squall was ready to throw Irvine out of the window. Not only was he losing sleep, Irvine wasn't going to explain the situation to him either. "_What_ is your problem? If this is some prank you're playing, I want no part in it," he growled, throwing the covers over his head and moving back to sleep. 

Irvine dived under Squall's bed and whimpered again. "He's seen me! I know it! He's coming! He knows I've been doing a terrible job watching you!" he blurted nervously. "He's going to behead me! I know it!" 

Hearing this, Squall immediately jolted awake from his bed and rushed to the window. Irvine's fear could only mean to one thing. And apparently, his nightmare had come true. 

DUM DUM DUM!!!!! WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAPPENED?! GASP! THE SUSPENCE!!!


	13. Laguna's Flight

Chapter 13 

Laguna's Flight 

"S…s…sir! Please! Step back! Balamb no longer welcomes visitors due to the present situation, and it is most disturbing to have visitors at this hour!" a guard stammered in exasperation. 

"I'm not a guest, you blockhead! Now move before I have you removed!" The visitor threw his head back and chuckled, as if he were laughing at a personal joke of his. "Y…you get it? Removed? Removed…because…" he stopped himself from explaining his amusement, seeing the pallid expression on the guard's face. "Oh never mind." 

The visitor's companion, cleared his throat loudly, as if disapproving the inside joke. "Um, sire, I don't think this gentleman was here for joking," he prompted fretfully. 

"Nonsense! What's he got to be afraid of?" the visitor clamored loudly, forgetting the fact that it was the middle of the night. "What could _possibly_ be wrong with joking? It's better than standing around here all the time keeping on your toes day and night. Besides, we're not enemies! Now move aside!" 

His companion cleared his throat once again. "Well, sire, maybe showing up in the middle of the night is a conspicuous thing to do. It's only natural for this gentleman to be defensive. Now perhaps if we agree to return at a better time–" 

"Oh, be quiet. We are _not _going to 'agree to return at a better time.' I told you, we're not visitors. We're here to retrieve someone!" the visitor hollered loudly at the top of his lungs. 

Hearing this, the guard suddenly grew paler, his skin almost stark white from the horror. Quickly, he drew out his weapon and pointed it the strangers, shaking slightly. "Stay where you are! I know what you've come for!" 

The visitor looked puzzled. "You do? Well that's good. But there's no need for hostility. I'm not going anywhere." 

Behind the visitor, his companion muttered, "Idiot," under his breath and gave a loud sigh. 

"Guards! Guards!" 

"Now there's no need to shout. I'm sure we can find our way through just fine. Don't bother with all the trouble of giving us a tour," the visitor said pleasantly, oblivious to the guard's discomfort. 

"Um, your majesty…" 

"Quiet, Kiros. Don't be rude to these people." 

The companion gave another loud sigh. "Suit yourself." 

* 

"What's all the fuss about?" Quistis inquired, covered in a night robe. She entered the throne room groggily, wondering why she was summoned away from her sleep. Was there another attack? 

Quistis looked about her and found almost everyone present in the throne room. Selphie was seated on a small chair at the side of the room, dozing off. Zell was leaning against a pillar, fighting to keep his eyes opened. Raijin apparently had fallen asleep while leaning against another pillar, and was snoring loudly. Seifer tried to look alert, but every once in awhile he fought to stifle a large yawn. Even Fujin was growing hazy as she sat beside Seifer, her back leaning against the pillar as she fought to stay awake. 

Edea looked paler than usual and glanced around the room. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked slightly irked. "Where are Sir Leonhart and Sir Kinneas?" 

"And Rinoa," Zell fought to say, a large yawn protruding from his mouth. 

The doors to the throne room opened once again, and Rinoa and Squall entered, heaving Irvine with them. Apparently, Irvine was out cold and had to be dragged inside the room. 

Seifer yawned and pointed at Irvine. "What happened to him?" he asked, although he sounded unconcerned. 

"Squall knocked him out," Rinoa answered, dumping Irvine against a pillar. She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. "He went through a panic attack, and we had to shut him up." 

"Oh," Seifer replied in disinterest, turning to glance at the snoring Raijin. He twitched slightly as Raijin continued to snore peacefully, ignoring his whereabouts. "Hey, cut that out," Seifer grumbled, kicking Raijin awake. 

Raijin shook awake from his slumber and looked around furiously. "Who did that!?" he yelped in reflex, his eyes widening with shock. 

"SILENCE!" Fujin growled, although her face was resting on her knees. 

Selphie stirred slowly from her nap and stared sleepily at Cid. "W…what's going on? Why are we here? Has something happened?" she inquired through a rasping tone. 

The king looked flushed and weary. His expression was firm and strict, but there were signs her had grown exhausted. "The guards have informed me that strange characters have been cited to enter the palace. They have been stopped of course, but these characters could be GF's in disguise. The guards have brought them into the dungeons," Cid explained grimly. 

Zell yawned once again. "What a stupid thing to do," he grumbled irritably. "Those guards would've only brought in a enemy, and without the barrier to work anymore, that would be more trouble…" 

Cid nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what troubled me…but the damage is done, and the prisoners are still being held in the dungeons…" 

Squall's eyes glimmered, a strange look rising to his eyes. "Take me to the dungeons," he demanded, all trace of weariness disappearing from his face. 

Rinoa tugged on his arm. "But, Squally, it could be dangerous? What are you trying to prove?" 

Squall shook away from Rinoa and demanded once again, "I don't think we are in any immediate danger. Perhaps a misunderstanding has caused all this panic." 

Cid looked slightly reluctant at first, but gave a small nod. "Very well. You may go, but I must caution you, it's not safe to dwell there…" 

* 

Squall made his way down the dungeons quickly, followed by Rinoa and Zell hauling up Irvine's body. Quistis followed, curious to see Squall's eagerness, and Selphie refused to leave Quistis's side. Seifer and his posse reluctantly followed, due to Seifer's paranoia of Quistis's safety. 

Selphie coughed as she inhaled the stale air. The dungeons were 20 feet underground. It was an amazing thought that air could still circulate the area. 

"There are small air holes located here," Quistis explained tiresomely. "At least I think there are. I've never been down here before, so I've only heard stories about this place." Curiously, she peered through the darkness, trying to make out the details before her. 

Zell nodded, and picked up from where Quistis left off. He had been in the dungeons once or twice when he was still a child. "There are, but it's still difficult to breathe. In a few weeks or so, the prisoner either suffocates or starves to death. This place is so foul, I've told dad to tear this place up. There hasn't been a prisoner in here for years." 

Selphie made a face and stepped over what appeared to be the bones of a very large rat. "Ugh, how pleasant," she murmured in disgust. 

As the group ventured farther into the dungeons, loud wailings could be heard echoing throughout the dark walls. 

Seifer stopped abruptly, his head looking up. "Did you hear that?" 

"Must be the prisoners," Squall replied, pressing on farther. 

The raised voices grew louder, and soon became clear sentences. 

"…YOU CAN'T LOCK US UP! WE'RE INNOCENT! INNOCENT, I TELL YOU!!! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" 

"Sire, please! Calm you– " 

"CALM?! CALM?!?! HOW CAN YOU STAY CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!?! WE'VE BEEN FALSLEY ACCUSED OF A CRIME WE OBVIOUSYL DIDN'T COMMIT!" the wailing voice demanded, growing louder every second. 

"Well if you hadn't been so forward, maybe we WOULDN'T be in this mess! What kind of person would suddenly BARGE in a palace in the middle of the night?!" another voice snapped back. 

Irvine, who had stirred back into consciousness looked up and groaned. "Huh? W…w…what's happening?" he groaned, finding himself being hauled up by Rinoa and Zell. He turned to look at this surroundings and found himself being dragged into what appeared to be a dungeon. "Erm, did I miss something?" 

"ARE YOU ACCUSING _ME_ FOR GETTING US INTO THIS MESS?!" 

No one answered the sharpshooter, nor paid any attention to him at the moment. 

Quistis scowled as she saw the cell the captives were held in. "These are no GF's," she noted, studying the arguing prisoners carefully. 

Two of the prisoners were apparently in a heated argument to notice the stares thrown their way. The last prisoner appeared to meditating on the soiled floor, ignoring his bickering companions. Quistis noted that the quieter one of the three was rather large and had a few scars over his face. He wore a bandana over his head, and had another scar located around his throat. 

Quistis moved her gaze to the two bickering. One, she noted had dark skin like Raijin, and was tall and lanky. He had dark hair tied into a braid behind him, and his eyes were as dark as his skin. 

The last prisoner Quistis studied carefully caused her to scowl once again. Before her, the wailing man, had a handsome look about him. He had long, raven hair, and gentle eyes. He was a medium built fellow, and looked good-natured, although his screeching voice threw off his appearance. 

Oddly enough, Quistis found herself staring at the third gentleman in a puzzled expression. The gentleman looked devilishly familiar, as if she had seen him before. _~But that's impossible. I've never seen this man in my entire life,~_ she thought to herself. Still, there was something about the raven-haired gentleman that made him stand out from the rest. Strangely, he soft features resembles those much like… 

"Laguna!" Squall exclaimed, slightly surprised. He almost dropped the torch he was carrying due to his astonishment. 

"Your majesty!" Rinoa and Irvine chimed in together, immediately bowing before their king. Rinoa had a sincere look on her face as she greeted the king. Irvine, on the other hand, paled once again and looked as if his doom was about him. 

Immediately, the two bickering prisoners ceased their shouting and turned to glance at the group before them. Laguna immediately broke into a merry smile and ran to the bars. "Squall! Thank goodness you're safe! And I see you're in good health as well, Lady Rinoa!" he greeted, forgetting the fact that he was still locked inside a prison. "Still as lovely as a flower, I see. That's good." 

Rinoa curtsied and gave a nod, acknowledging Laguna. "It's a surprise to see you, your majesty. What are you doing here?" 

Zell looked slightly puzzled, and exchanged looks with Selphie. "Do you know these men?" he asked, looking at the three faces behind the bars. 

"Why yes, of course they know me," Laguna replied before Squall could answer. "Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Laguna, King of Esthar. I'm Squall's father." 

* 

Cid had agreed to free Laguna and his companions, Kiros and Ward, from the prison, discovering the truth about Laguna. Kiros, regaining his composure, had thoroughly explained the situation and the misunderstanding between the guard and Laguna. To make up for his ill judgment, Cid invited the three guests for breakfast and gave them a warm welcome to Balamb. 

_~His father…well that makes sense. The two look exactly alike,~_ Quistis thought, looking at Squall and Laguna from across the table. She ignored the food before her and continued to stare, puzzled why Squall looked rather uncomfortable to be in the presence of his father. 

"What brings you here, King Laguna?" 

Laguna looked up from his plate of bacon and cleared his throat loudly. "Oh, well I was concerned for my son's health. We didn't receive word of his well being, and we heard news that something terrible had happened here in Balamb," he explained, shifting his utensils aside for the moment. "I tried to send word to Squall to see if he were alright. But due to the circumstances, no word could be reached to him. You do understand. I'm just concerned for my son's health. I meant no trouble." 

Squall gave neither response nor comfort to his father. Instead, he looked down at his plate and picked at his food, meeting no one in the eye. 

Cid gave a perceptive nod. "Ah, yes. That's right. All transportations have been cut off from Balamb. I fear for the people's safety, and I do not wish for Balamb's problems to affect the entire world for the moment. My apologies for all the trouble," he said, bowing down his head slightly. "I'm just surprised to find that you and your ship were able to get through Balamb's defenses. Normally, your ship would have been shot down." 

Laguna turned a slight shade of pink. "Oh, well…erm…about that…" 

"His majesty acts so irrationally when it comes to his son," Kiros interrupted. "He sneaks out of bed one night and thinks he can get away with flying the Ragnarok to Balamb without anyone noticing. Luckily, Ward and I had been suspicious of the king's motives and had hidden in the ship, just in case his majesty were to do anything stupid." 

Laguna turned to glare at his companion. "Kiros!" 

Kiros shook his head, ignoring Laguna's protests to silence him. "Unfortunately, we were already too late, since his majesty is a reckless driver and it was rather troublesome getting into the cockpit without stumbling. If it hadn't been for Ward, we would've never even landed safely into your kingdom. His majesty is a reckless driver and nearly got us killed." 

Laguna looked on the verge of tears. "Oh Kiros! How awful of you to think of me in such a way! Am I not your king?" 

"It is fortunate that you ARE my king and not just a companion. Otherwise, Ward and I would've thrown you out of Ragnarok BEFORE we flew out of Esthar territory," Kiros muttered under his breath, watching Laguna consume his breakfast. 

The king of Esthar ate quietly for a long moment, as if pondering something very important. Finally, he looked up and glanced at Squall, who was still picking at his food. "You're quiet as usual…" he said cheerfully, smiling at Squall. 

Squall did not return the smile. 

"Have you…" Laguna's voice trailed off as Squall rose from his chair. He watched as his son excused himself from the table and left the room in a hurry. 

Quistis bit down on her lip as hard as she could, trying her best not to snarl at Squall. It was none of her business what went on between Squall and Laguna. Still, she couldn't help but ponder Squall's strange behavior. 

The princess sneaked a look upon Laguna's handsome face. Laguna still wore the smile he had given Squall as he turned back to his plate. But Quistis knew that there was pain in his tranquil eyes. 


	14. Family Ties

Chapter 14 

Family Ties 

Squall strolled into the palace gardens by accident as he randomly brushed past the hallways before him. He flinched slightly as the bright beams of sunlight poured into the garden, and thus raised a hand over his eyes. Slowly, he decided to walk along the winding garden paths, curious to where he would end up eventually. 

He was relieved Irvine had not followed him and enjoyed the feeling of solitude once again. Things had not been like this before, when he was still a child. What had happened then? 

Squall knew that he had dramatically changed over the years for the best. He knew people he loved surrounded him, and he quickly pushed them away, especially, those who loved him the most. He didn't want such a thing to happen again. Not to him, or to anyone else he was fond of. 

_ ~If only she were still here…~_ he thought quietly to himself, staring intently out into space. 

"Do you hate me that much?" 

Squall whirled around quickly, startled by the familiar voice. He immediately scowled viciously as he caught sight of Laguna standing behind him. 

Laguna was not looking at Squall. Instead, he turned his gaze to admire the wild plants that thrived healthily beside him. "You…really must hate me for coming here…" He reached out to a butterfly fluttering over to him and smiled. 

Squall continued to stare at his father, the anger in his eyes draining. "I don't need to be babied," he answered with a shrug. 

"No, of course you don't. My mistake." Laguna finally looked up to meet Squall's gaze. He widened his smile and sent the butterfly resting on his finger to fly away. "I forget how much you've changed since then. Whenever I see you, I still see the same young boy who made me the happiest man in the world." 

Squall gave no reply in return. He knew his father never fully recovered from the pain in the past, no matter how hard Laguna tried to cope with the loss. 

Laguna looked away from Squall's gaze and reached out to touch a blooming flower beside him. "Maybe if she were still here…" 

_~Now he's crossing the line,~_ Squall thought irritably to himself. He didn't want Laguna to bring up the pain and sorrow from long ago. "She's not. She's gone." 

"Yes…my mistake," Laguna replied with a shrug. He gave a soft chuckle and threw his head back to the sky, his shoulders shaking. "You must really hate me for bringing that subject back up. After I promised never to speak of it again. It's funny how I suddenly think about it now." 

Again Squall gave no reply to his father. Instead, he turned his back towards Laguna and walked away, clenching his fists so tight that his hands shook fiercely. 

* 

Quistis sat stiffly on the marble floor, her eyes shut, as if in deep concentration. Her hands rested comfortably against her thighs, and her breathing grew even and silent within a few minutes. Calmly, she cleared her mind of all thoughts and worries and began to summon her powers resting deep within herself. 

Gently, Quistis pushed at her magic to come forward, trying to keep it from overflowing all at once. With great care, she drew out her powers and sent a silver light to slither around her like small snakes gathering together. Again, Quistis willed her powers to release itself from her body, this time, with a stronger force, and caused a brighter light to glow around her. 

Finally, after a few moments or so, Quistis gently nudged at her powers, urging for it to flow back into her body. Slowly, she began to lose the silver glow around her, and all traces of her magic disappeared within a few seconds. 

It was then that the door creaked open, and in walked the sharpshooter, looking slightly concerned. 

Irvine stepped into the room silently and found Quistis gazing up at him with an inquiring expression. "Oh, sorry if I interrupted anything," he apologized, scratching his head nervously. 

Quistis shook her head and tried to smile. "It's no trouble. I was just completing one of my daily exercise routines," she answered, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "It's an excellent way to keep focused and control your powers." 

"Oh, I see," Irvine replied, approaching the princess. "You mind if I join you for a moment?" 

Quistis patted the space beside her, remaining in her meditation position. Quietly, she wondered to herself why Irvine was interested in joining her for meditation. Not even _she_ liked to meditate. 

Irvine sat himself beside Quistis and leaned on his hands. With a sigh, he then rested against the floor, his knees propped up while his hands moved to rest under his head. He said nothing at first to the princess, and instead closed his eyes, breathing deeply. 

At first, Quistis presumed that Irvine had fallen asleep, due to the deafening silence. But as she turned to glance at him, his eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at the ceiling. 

"…Squall's never told you anything about his father…has he?" the sharpshooter finally inquired after a long period of silence. 

Quistis brought her knees up towards her chest and hugged them tightly. "…No…Squall's not one to talk about himself or anything else for that matter," she replied, resting her chin against her knees. Silently, she wondered why Irvine suddenly brought up the topic about Squall to her of all people. 

Again, there was a long moment of silence before Irvine decided to speak again. "Ever wonder why?" 

Quistis shook her head. "I don't think this is any of my business–" 

"Odd to say, but no one really knows why he's so distant," Irvine interrupted, ignoring Quistis's reply. He continued to gap blankly at the ceiling, not once looking at the princess beside him. 

Quistis immediately fell silent and buried her face into her knees. The grip on her knees tightened, and she chewed anxiously at her bottom lip. 

"To tell you the truth, I've only got a vague idea of the complicated picture. From what I've heard, his mother died giving birth to him. The doctors said that she would be too weak to give birth to another child, ever since she lost most of her strength having her first child." 

"Squall has a sister?" 

Irvine gave a small nod. "Gorgeous thing if you ask me. She's got the prettiest eyes I've ever seen," he answered with a wide grin on his lips. "Laguna was always forced to spend more time with his work, so she was left to take care of us only when she was 10. I had the biggest crush on her. 

"Squall loved Ellone very much. I could tell that he would always look up to her more than anything. I guess he saw her as a motherly figure to him," Irvine explained, shutting his eyes for a moment as if to remember the past. "But then…Ellone grew ill, and the doctors feared for her condition. She was forced to stay away from Squall, in case she infected Squall with her illness. 

"I haven't seen her since…Eventually, a cranky old maid had to watch over Squall and me." Irvine paused for a moment, opening his eyes, staring intently at the ceiling. "It wasn't until the Galbadian Conflict that we received word that Ellone was to move to Trabia and marry the king there. Squall's never forgiven himself for not being there to bid Ellone goodbye…" 

Quistis remained silent for a long moment, trying to let the words sink in. It made her quite distraught to learn of Squall's family-less childhood. She knew that if she were deprived to ever see her father or brother ever again she would have curled up and died. 

"You must mean a lot to Squall, Irvine…" 

Irvine shot a glance at Quistis and gave an amused chuckle. "Oh, I hated Squall back then," he responded plainly. 

Quistis's eyes bulged out in shock, and she stared in disbelief at the sharpshooter beside her. "What?" 

There came another set of loud chuckles as Irvine caught the look on Quistis's face. "Don't look so surprised, Quistis. Even as a child Squall wasn't exactly adorable," he answered, a dreamy look rising to his eyes. "Ah, yes, I remember how much I hated him back then. It surprises me how much I changed. But you see…Squall and I…we go way back…I was a little servant boy coming from a very poor family. Laguna hired my family and brought us to live in the palace. I guess Laguna figured I could be Squall's playmate since we were both the same age." 

Irvine paused once again as he gave another loud chuckle. Rising to sit up, he leaned back against his hands and grinned broadly. "Boy, did I hate that spoiled little brat when I met him. In my eyes, he was the inconsiderate little rich boy who didn't know what he had. Squall was always sulking and gloomy, and he was never in the mood for anything. But that wasn't all." Irvine shook his head and glanced at Quistis, who looked quite puzzled. "I hated Squall because Ellone was always hovering over him, treating him like a friend and always being nice to him. I guess I was jealous of Squall at the time." 

Quistis raised an eyebrow, a bit skeptical on the subject. Still, her curiosity was too great, and she said nothing critical on the matter. "So what made you change?" she asked instead, rather than criticize Irvine. 

Irvine gave a shrug. "I really don't know what made me change my mind about Squall. Squall was never mean to me; he was only quiet. I guess it wasn't until Ellone fell ill when I really befriended Squall. He knew I didn't like him, but once Ellone was taken away from him he looked at me with these extremely adorable eyes and told me not to leave him," he explained, blushing slightly. "Kind of freaky once I think about it. But once I saw those heartbroken eyes, I couldn't resist. His eyes reminded me too much of Ellone, and I didn't want Ellone to be disappointed if I left Squall's side. Besides, I'm the only one Squall's actually got now, despite his rather rude attitude towards me. Plus Squall's gotten me out of trouble numerous times. I don't know where I'd be if he didn't cover up for me all the time. I owe him a lot." 

"I see…" Quistis made a move to rise from the floor. The conversation was greatly puzzling her. It troubled her to be discussing about Squall's past with Irvine. Still, the questions nagging in her mind could not make her dismiss the subject. 

"But…his father…Surely they've been able to see each other?" 

The sharpshooter remained where he was, his gaze shifting to the wall. "Not as often as anyone would like. Squall's afraid of Laguna. Squall thinks that he was the cause for his mother's death and that Laguna blames him for it. He's grown up with that knowledge and I guess it's hard for him to face the truth," he said softly, the grin on his face fading away. "Laguna's never been there to get to know Squall very much, but he worries over him constantly, and always treats Squall like a loving father." 

Quistis gave no other reply. Instead she remained standing, blankly gazing in space. The puzzle pieces now fit together, but she still could not understand Squall entirely. It was hard for her to imagine the pain and hurt the prince of Esthar had gone through, and it troubled her even more to know that Laguna was suffering as well. 

There was a long and awkward silence that filled the room. For a long moment there was no sound from the two occupants in the room. 

Finally, Irvine gave a sigh and tipped his hat at Quistis. A small grin replaced his previous grim look and he made his way of the room in a rather steady pace. "Well, I think I've taken too much of our time today. I should get going and see if I can sneak myself some of that pastry stuff the servants were passing out last night," he said in his usual carefree manner. 

Quistis scowled slightly and chewed on her lower lip. Whirling around quickly to catch up with Irvine, she grasped his shoulder rather firmly. "Wait…Irvine…" 

Irvine, equipped with a rather airy look on his face, turned around to meet Quistis's azure gaze. "Hmm? Would you like me to get you a pastry too?" 

Quistis ignored Irvine's suggested and briskly asked, "Why did you tell me all this?" 

"Because I figured you'd be hungry that's all. Just because you're a princess doesn't mean that you don't have an appetite either, you know." 

Quistis felt a vein throb painfully within her temple as Irvine's complete idiocy overwhelmed her. It was remarkable how he could hold a long conversation about something so serious but then immediately replace the thought for food. "Forget about the pastry! Why did you suddenly blurt out things about Squall? Why did you tell _me_ about Squall?" 

"Oh, that," Irvine replied, smiling broadly. He gave the princess a sly wink and pinched her cheek quickly. "Because you're different…" he said with a toothy grin. "Now how 'bout that pastry, eh?" 

* 

"Let's see…with all the damage on the Ragnarok, we may have to stay here until repairs are fully made." 

Kiros mused over the Ragnarok charily, making a note to himself of all the gadgets needing to be fixed. He missed no detail and scribbled furiously on his note board, making a small reluctant noise. If his guess was correct, he, Laguna, and Ward would be stuck in Balamb for at least another day or two. The thought made Kiros shudder in despair. 

The delay was going to hinder the mountain of paper work Laguna continuously put off for days. Not to mention, the humongous tension between Squall and Laguna were not going to straighten things at all. Kiros guessed Laguna's luck was short of a miracle. 

Laguna, who had been busy looking over the cost of repairs, quickly looked up as he heard Kiros groan. "Well, I know it's a little over the normal budget we can afford, but it's still a good price. And this ship's pretty banged up…" 

Kiros shook his head and sighed. "It's not that, your majesty," he replied calmly. The cost of the repairs was far from his mind at the moment. "I'm just concerned…that's all." 

"If this is about the paperwork, don't worry. I'll get right to it once we get back to Esthar!" Laguna said brightly, an encouraging smile stretching across his lips. 

Kiros twitched slightly and shot Laguna a hot glare. "I'll have you know, that even if you CARED to attempt ANY paperwork once we get back to Esthar, that the due date for most of them were this afternoon," he grumbled irritably. 

Laguna shuddered as Kiros's gaze burned through his very soul. He gave a nervous laugh and hurried away from his irked companion. "What was that, Ward? You think we should use Kiros's pocket money to pay for the repairs?" 

Ward was currently reading over a mechanic manual and raised his eyebrows when Laguna had suddenly addressed him. 

"Don't drag Ward into this! You and I both know he can't speak!! And don't go changing the subject either!!!" Kiros screamed angrily from the top of his lungs. "By the time we get back to Esthar, we're never going to hear the end of it from the Council!" 

"Oh, Kiros!" Laguna cried out in exasperation, moving his hand as if to silence his companion. "You worry too much! What's the paper work worth anyway? I'm sure the Council will understand that I had important matters to attend to," he argued heatedly. 

Suddenly, the doors to the docks opened, and Quistis walked in, looking quite puzzled as she caught sight of the two men arguing once again. "Oh, erm…Anything I can do to help?" 

The three men inside the room turned to glance at Quistis as the doors closed behind her. Laguna cleared his throat loudly and rushed over to the princess. 

"Oh, Lady Quistis, nice to see you," Laguna greeted, clapping a hand on Quistis's shoulder. With his other hand, he ran his fingers through his long raven colored hair and smiled. "I see you like being useful." 

Quistis nodded as Laguna led her towards Ragnarok. "Yes, it helps me keep my mind off certain topics. And it is mostly my fault that your ship was damaged in the first place," she answered while marveling at the Ragnarok's curious appearance. Never had she seen a ship so extraordinary before. "Amazing ship. You don't see many ships built with a peculiar design like this one." 

Laguna chuckled and scratched his head. "Well, I'm glad you like it. It's the only one of its kind. One of Esthar's experiments," he replied, seeing the look of awe in the princess's eyes. 

"I see," Quistis breathed, taking into the view how the ship was designed and the glorious red color. Tearing her eyes off the Ragnarok, she turned back to look at Laguna and smiled. "How may I help you?" 

Again, Laguna scratched his head, as if thinking. "Well," he began, pausing for a moment to think. "I don't want to trouble you with such burly work…" 

"Don't worry," Quistis replied, folding her arms behind her, "I've asked Squall to assist me. He seemed to be sulking about in the gardens when I found him, so I asked him to come over if he wanted to." 

Almost instantaneously, Laguna's eyes flickered a ghastly glow. "Oh, is that so?" 

"Is there something wrong?" Quistis inquired innocently, although she was well aware of the relationship between Squall and Laguna. She knew it was wrong to interfere with other people's personal lives, but she couldn't help but try and fix things. Besides, Irvine's story already made her feel guilty for prying into other people's personal lives. 

Quickly, Laguna cleared his throat loudly and swept his hair back a little too enthusiastically. "Wrong? Oh, of course not! There's nothing wrong! We'd love all the help we can get!" he exclaimed a little too loud to be believable. 

Quistis pretended to cough in her hand to suppress her amusement. Instead, she turned to glance at Kiros, who was nodding his head in approval. "Ah, excellent. So, what can I do to help?" 

"Well, there are a few parts here on the list we'll be needing to find. Do you think we can find these parts lying around the town?" Kiros interjected before Laguna could open his mouth. 

Laguna scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "Erm…normally we get these parts from Esthar's research facility. But since we've got no way of contacting them from here, it's going to be a lot harder to get your hands on," he said, blushing slightly. "I think it's a little too much, but the only way we can get a hold of these replacements is by salvaging them from beast infested areas. They grow from a rare material, you see, and beasts are attracted to this type of material." 

Quistis thought carefully about Laguna's request. When offering a helping hand, she never expected such a difficult request. Not to mention such a dangerous task to be fulfilled. Still, Quistis didn't have the heart to refuse Laguna, since she had been the one who had offered in the first place. 

Laguna took Quistis's silence as a negative response and shook her hands vigorously. "Well, you don't have to, Lady Quistis! It's definitely not a job suited for a princess like yourself! Besides, it's such a dangerous task–" 

"I'll do it." 

"See, like I said, you ought to…eh…what?" 

Quistis couldn't help but smile in amusement. "I said, 'I'll do it.' I'm up for the job," she replied calmly. 

It was Kiros's turn to speak. "What? Are you certain? It's a dangerous job!" 

Quistis shook her head stubbornly. "Well, I did offer, and it seems that that's the only task you need to be finished. It's no trouble really. I'm quite skilled with defending myself, and it's not like I'll go alone," she said dismissively. 

Laguna flushed. "Ah, well, you don't understand, Lady Quistis," he said, slightly nervous. "These aren't just ordinary beasts, you see. These are…" 

* 

"RUBY DRAGONS?!" Zell screamed in fury, craning his neck so quickly that it almost snapped. 

Quistis winced slightly from the force delivered form Zell's tone. She could have sworn the room shook as he stomped over to her. 

"Well, what was I supposed to say, Zell? It's my fault in the first place that they ended up in this mess, and I _did_ offer them my help. What was I supposed to say? 'Sorry, that job's too hard. Why don't you do it yourself?'" she said defensively. 

"WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU?!?!" Zell roared, rubbing his neck. 

"Because it wouldn't have been the polite thing to do. Besides, I can't go back on my word now," Quistis said in a gallingly calm voice. 

Zell chucked his hotdog against the wall in a fit of rage. Not realizing this, he continued to throw things randomly against the wall. "SCREW THE POLITENESS!!!! QUISTIS, THESE ARE _RUBY DRAGONS_!!!! HOW COULD YOU PUT YOURSELF IN SO MUCH DANGER FOR THIS?!?!?!!?!?!? HOW CAN YOU BE SO INCONSIDERATE?!" 

Quistis gave a sigh as she watched Zell's favorite wine glass shatter as it made contact with the ceiling. "Zell, you're not a subtle man," she said exasperatedly, trying her best to keep her temper low. "I never said I was going to parade all over the world in search of ruby dragons. I just said that would be the alternative. Father would keel over from the shock if I were to tell him that. Besides, Balamb may be able to spare a few parts." 

Zell took in a deep breath and slumped over next to Quistis on the couch, his head facing the ceiling. He was beginning to miss that hotdog he had thrown earlier. "You're such a pain, you know." 

"Well that makes two of us," Quistis retorted with a grin. "So, about those Ruby Dragons…" 

"Forget it! Out of the question!" 

"Zell!" 

"NO! There is no way, not now, not ever! NEVER! YOU'RE NOT DOING IT!" 


	15. Dragons & Marshes

**Author's Note:** :sob sob: I'M SOOOORRRY, EVERYONE! I KNOW IT'S BEEN 2-3 YEARS NOW! I'M A TERRIBLE AUTHOR! TERRIBLE! OH THE SHAME! I HAVE LET YOU ALL DOWN AND HAVE MADE YOU WAIT SUCH LONG AND TRYING YEARS! FORGIIIIIIIVE MEEEEE! I am a poor excuse for an author who cannot even find the time to set her priorities straight! OH THE SHAAAAME! I didn't realize I had chapter 15 done already, so I never posted it up! OMG, IM SUCH AN IDIOT!

**Chapter 15 **

**Dragons Marshes**

"…I can't believe you're doing this."

Zell placed a hand over his forehead, giving a deeply reluctant sigh. He was dressed in a light armor and equipped with his favorite spike gloves. He shot Quistis a hot glare and growled in addition, "Oh don't look too pleased with yourself. I can't believe you've dragged me into this!"

Quistis _did_ look pleased with herself as she folded her arms behind her. "Now, Zell, no one invited you to come along. You volunteered yourself into this, remember," she said, not bothering to wipe the smug look on her face.

"Oh shut up," Zell snapped in irritation. He looked as if he were ready to throw another one of his tantrums. "The only reason why I'm sticking my neck out for you is because of your stupidity. I wouldn't be in this right now if you hadn't decided to _parade_ all across the lands searching for Ruby Dragons."

Seifer didn't look too pleased as well, cocking an eyebrow up, as he looked Quistis over carefully. "Why do you have to be so naïve?" he growled grumpily, folding his arms over his chest.

Quistis shot him a frosty look as she made her way out of the palace. "No one's asked you to come along either, Seifer," she replied coolly. "And you were the one who made a huge deal about Squall accompanying us, remember?" she added slyly, adjusting her gloves as she strode on forward.

"Squall's not going with Quisty?" an anxious looking Selphie inquired.

It was Seifer who replied. "Of course not. I wouldn't trust that emotionally constipated moron around Little Miss Princess over here!" he hollered loudly, making sure he was heard perfectly clear. "Besides, the castle will need defending. The GF's would most likely attack any time soon and they may still believe princess over here is still stuck inside the castle."

Selphie gave a reluctant sigh and nodded. "Well, if you say so. I wish I could come with you, but someone's going to have to fill in your shoes while you're all gone," she responded, gripping her hands behind her.

"You won't tell dad, will you?" Zell asked more out of paranoia than out of caution.

"Of course she's not going to tell ol' daddy, you idiot!" Seifer growled impatiently. "Just because you have the mental capacity of an infant doesn't mean everyone else does. Now shut up, chicken-wuss, otherwise _you're_ going to be left behind!" And with that, he stormed out of the palace.

Zell looked as if he were ready to beat Seifer to a pulp. But judging from the fact that it would be meaningless at the moment, he rushed off, giving a small grunt to Selphie as he walked out.

* * *

The tower seemed empty and abandoned as the tall figure entered from the secret passage. The sudden movements scattered the century old dust to scatter into the air in thick clouds. Ancient and forgotten objects lay on the dirty floors, cluttered together into a large heap of garbage. It appeared that the tower had not been in use for over a century. 

"Get rid of _me_, will they?" the figure snarled angrily, kicking at the dust covered scrolls lying beside his feet. "I'll show them…I'll make them pay!"

He swept hurriedly across the haphazard room and wrenched open the windows, sending more dust to scatter off into the air.

"We'll see…I'll make her suffer…"

* * *

"Brr!" Seifer shivered, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine. 

Quistis turned towards her fiancé, a curious look rising to her face. "What's wrong?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Seifer shook his head and gave a shrug. "Nothing. Just felt a sudden chill there for a min–"

Before Seifer could finish what he was saying, Hyperion was wrenched out of its scabbard within a split second. Narrowing his eyes, Seifer swung Hyperion skillfully, as if ready to…

Quistis gasped loudly, and there came a small thud landing on the ground. "It's you!"

Millimeters away from decapitation, a little girl sat against the hard ground, looking quite frightened. She gave a quiver of fear, as she looked up at Seifer, wide-eyed with shock.

Zelll quickly helped the little girl back to her feet, holding her firmly. "What the hell's the big idea, Seifer?" he growled, throwing Seifer a venomous look. "You could've killed her!"

Seifer didn't reply. He continued to hold Hyperion up as he stared intently into the little girl's dark green eyes. It wasn't until Quistis uttered his name that he shifted his gaze to Zell.

Quietly, Quistis watched as Seifer withdrew his Gunblade away from the girl. Still, she noticed that he did not put Hyperion back in its sheath, but instead held it firmly in his hand.

Zell slowly brought the girl to her feet and held a strong grip on her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

The girl gave no reply as she looked nervously from Seifer to Quistis. Her look still held fear within her eyes, and before anyone could utter a word, she dashed away from the site, leaving the three companions puzzled.

Quistis gaped for a moment as she watched the child scuttle away into the distance. Then, giving a small sigh, she turned towards Seifer and shook her head. "Looks like you scared her off."

Slowly, Seifer placed Hyperion back in its scabbard and gave another shrug. "Sorry," he mumbled, not quite paying attention to Quistis. "I must've been mistaken."

* * *

Fujin watched from her window the three figures making their way out of Balamb in a quick pace. She stood rigidly behind the dark drapes that hung limply from the wall. 

"Lady Fujin?"

There came a soft rap on the door, and a rather inexperienced looking maid slowly entered the room.

Fujin immediately released the drapes she held in her hand, covering the window fully. Irritated, she turned her one eye towards the maid and made a mental note to herself to kill the maid once she was finished putting a spell on her door.

The maid wrung her hand nervously on her apron as she felt strong tension emit from Fujin's stone cold gaze. "Um, didn't mean to barge in, my lady. But…"

Fujin's eyes narrowed impatiently as she watched the maid babble on and on meaninglessly. It wasn't the first time she craved to tear out palace servants' hears out.

"Oh, my, well…um…What I mean is…" the maid sputtered on, growing beat red. "The king wishes a word with you–"

Before the maid could finish her message, Fujin brushed past her rudely and strode out the room, heading towards Cid's study.

"Oh dear! Wait, Lady Fujin!" the maid cried out, running after the pale noblewoman. "The King of _Esthar_ wishes to speak with you. He's located in the docks!"

Fujin shot a menacing glare at the maid, as if blaming her of the error. Without saying anything, she quickly rushed to the other direction, stalking impatiently across the halls towards the docks. It wasn't for long, however, that Fujin's sour mood was interrupted as she collided with another figure.

The pale noblewoman jolted back in reflex as she felt the impact of the collision. Shaking her head, she looked up and discovered Squall wincing slightly from the clash.

"Sorry," mumbled the Prince of Esthar. "Didn't see you there."

Fujin cleared her throat and shook her head. Cocking her head towards doors ahead of her, she replied, "DOCKS."

"Oh, so you're going there too," Squall mumbled, reaching the entrance to the docks. Quietly, he pushed open the door and watched Fujin step inside first.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO RECKLESS!" Laguna glowered loudly at Kiros. "You shouldn't have said anything about those parts!"

Kiros looked as equally agitated as Laguna. "Reckless! YOU'RE the one who mentioned the ruby dragons!" he retorted stubbornly. "Not to mention, YOU egged her on about it. Saying such ridiculous things about her being too weak to handle anything…"

Fujin cleared her throat loudly once again and clasped her hands behind her. Almost immediately, the two men ceased to bicker and turned quickly to the source of the noise.

Kiros caught sight of Fujin and quickly excused himself, mumbling about helping Ward with the mechanics.

Laguan broke into a smile and hurried over to the pale noblewoman's side. "Fujin of Galbadia! It's wonderful to see you again!" he greeted cheerfully, enveloping Fujin in a quick embrace.

Fujin looked taken aback by the unexpected movement and jumped back slightly. "GREETINGS," she replied plainly.

Laguna continued to beam with joy as he grasped Fujin by the shoulder and led her towards the Ragnarok. "I haven't seen you since you were engaged to Squall," he said cheerfully. "It's been so long since you left Esthar."

Fujin gave no reply, but glanced behind her to find Squall staring intently at the Ragnarok.

Laguna followed Fujin's gaze, and his eyes soon rested towards his son. His smile quickly dissolved into a puzzled gaze. "Squall?"

Squall shifted his gaze lazily towards his father and gave a shrug. "The Lady Quistis said you would be needing my help," he replied.

"But I thought you would be accompanying her?"

"Seifer insisted that I stay behind," came the dry reply. "I might as well make the most out of my time."

Laguna looked quite impressed, but said nothing of the matter. Instead, he gave a nod and hid a grin behind his hand. "All right then. I was just going to ask Fujin to take a look at the cockpit just to see if there are any damages there. I'm sure you can assist her, Squall."

Squall gave a shrug as a reply and followed Fujin into the Ragnarok without another word.

At the sight of the two nobles heading inside the Ragnarok, Kiros rushed back to Laguna's side and whispered quickly, "Why didn't you just ask Lady Quistis to fix the cockpit?"

Laguna shook her head. "I would've if it would do any good. But the only people who are able to recharge the Ragnarok's power are those in my bloodline, and the one who gave it power."

* * *

Fujin studied the controls of the cockpit carefully, trying to detect any malfunctions that would have occurred during Laguna's reckless flight. Sighing, she crouched down under the panels and wrenched open a small door leading to the wires of the controls. 

Squall had crouched beside Fujin and was peering down at the jumble of wires. He gave a small cough and wafted away the smoke that emerged from the electrical jolts the wires gave. "Laguna's jammed it," he grumbled, bringing out a small flashlight and pointing it towards the wires.

Fujin gave a nod and slipped her upper body into the nook and put a hand on a clump of damaged wires.

"No use. The wires are too–"

Before Squall could finish, Fujin yanked out the clump of wires in her hand violently, and tossed them aside like rubbish.

Squall looked as if he had chocked on a pastry. "W…what are you doing?" he demanded, quite surprised. He watched as the wires were thrown onto the floor, and wondered how the Ragnarok was ever to going to fly again.

"CAMOUFLAGE. USELESS," Fujin replied, clearing out the last bits of wires from the nook.

"What?"

Fujin gave an exasperated sigh and wrenched herself out of the nook. "Oh for heaven's sake! The wires were just camouflage! They have nothing to do with the ship at all!" she growled impatiently. It was the most she had spoken in five years.

Squall stared at her in shock and disbelief. It had been five years since he last heard Fujin speak in clear sentences. "You…you're talking…"

Fujin cut him off quickly as she slid her upper body back into the nook. "Of course I'm talking. I'm around you, aren't I?"

"…Before–"

"Didn't I _just_ say I'm around you?" she growled irritably. "_You're_ the one who broke my Mirror, remember?"

* * *

Zell gasped for breath as he reached the top of another rocky cliff. He leaned tiresomely against his knees and looked up at Quistis. "Just what the hell are we? Rock climbers? How much further do we having to go?" he panted heavily. "Wait, scratch that…Just where the hell _are_ we?" 

Seifer looked towards the distance for a moment before replying. "Ruby dragons can be found around this area. Luckily, they don't come in flocks."

"Yes, but the ruby dragons were exterminated here a long time ago," Quistis pointed out. She too looked out into the distance, yet her eyes held a look of anticipation. She was waiting for something.

"What?" Seifer demanded, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. His eyes burned intently as he glared at Quistis. "Just what the hell are you up to, princess?"

Quistis shrugged off Seifer's death glare and gave a smile. She quietly strode forward towards the edge of the cliff and turned to glance at both Seifer and Zell. "Well, _you_ catch on quickly, Seifer," she replied, slightly amused. "I couldn't tell you before, since I knew the two of you would try to stop me."

"Just what the hell are you getting at!" Zell demanded, standing up straight and looking enraged.

"Well, we're not really here to look for ruby dragons," Quistis replied, standing a safe distance apart from the two princes. "I wanted to go to Bahamut's Marsh. There's something I need to do there ' she explained calmly, despite the murderous looks on both Seifer's and Zell's faces.

Seifer looked as if he were ready to slice Quistis's head off with his Gunblade. "Bahamut's Marsh! You _are_ insane! Do you have _any_ idea who _rules_ that area!" he shouted furiously, his voice echoing loudly. "BA-HA-MUT! GF!"

Quistis gave Seifer a blank stare, unperturbed by his sudden outbreak. "I'm well aware of the dangers, Seifer. But I need to see Eriol Enolle."

"That old witch? What the hell do you need from _that_ old hag!" Zell grumbled, shaking with anger. His urge for throwing something was growing great ever second.

"Never mind the reason. We just need to get there quickly," Quistis replied quickly.

Seifer looked had a flush of purple tint his face as he inhaled sharply. "And just how, pray tell," he said slowly, his voice shaking from the strain, "are _we_ going to get there _fast_ enough?"

Quistis gave another smile and snapped her fingers together.

A strong gust of wind suddenly surged into the air, and the sound of flapping wings could be heard, quickly approaching the cliff.

* * *

**Author's Note: **:sniff sniff: AAAAH WHAT HAVE I DONE! ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! NOOOOOOOOOO! OMG! I swear to you! I alreayd have chappie 16 done! I'm just going to tweak it a bit and see how many reviews I get. I SWEAR I'LL DEVOTE MORE TIME IN GETTING THIS FIC DONE! 


	16. Eriol Enolle

**Chapter 16**

**Eriol Enolle**

Zell's jaw dropped so low that he almost resembled a large cod seeking its prey. His eyes bulged out from their sockets and he fell quickly to his knees. "Ah…ah…" was all he managed to say, pointing at the creatures flying over his sister's tiny figure. His throat suddenly became dry, and he found himself choking on his words.

Seifer, although not as traumatized as Zell, seemed quite shocked and dumbfounded at the sight before him. It almost seemed impossible…and yet…There was a sense of familiarity in his eyes as he turned to glance at Quistis. Perhaps there _was_ more to Quistis then meets the eye.

The giant, ruby red creatures circled the sky above Quistis and gave shrill cries to one another. One of the creatures, the largest of them, dove down towards the cliff and landed gracefully before the princess, giving a loud roar.

Quistis smiled in satisfaction as she watched the Ruby Dragon neatly fold its reptilian wings to its sides. "Ah, Rubedo," she said calmly, walking towards the dragon with no trace of fear. Effortlessly, she brought her hand over its snout and gently stroked it, her smile widening. "I'm glad you're safe."

Zell's jaw dropped even lower. It was one thing to have Ruby Dragons circle above you, but to have Ruby Dragons acting as docile creatures being petted by humans was a different issue. Zell grew pale. He did _not_ like what he saw.

"…_It_…has a _name_!" he demanded, completely mortified.

Quistis turned her cool gaze to her brother and scowled. "Of course _he_ has a name. He's not stupid," she retorted coolly. Shifting her gaze back to look at Rubedo, she began to pat its snout lightly, quietly whispering to it.

Zell tore his gaze from Quistis and the Ruby Dragon and moved close to Seifer. "I think she's gone insane," he whispered quietly.

Seifer gave no reply. He stared intently at the princess, his eyes beginning to widen in wonder. A scene suddenly flickered to life, flashing before his eyes as he watched Quistis coo pleasantly towards the dragon…

**"Fu! We shouldn't be out here, ya know!" **

**A small girl ran through the grassy fields, giggling merrily. She paid no heed to her companions' loud protests and warnings. Instead, she turned to glance at the two small boys trailing after her and smiled broadly, like any five-year-old child. "C'mon, Seifer! Raijin! There's something I want to show you!" And with that, she ran off once again. **

**A bronzed skin boy panted behind a rather pale looking Seifer. Under the beating sun, his dark skin immediately turned red as he ran through the green fields of Galbadia. "What's she up to this time, ya know?" he panted, resting his hands on his knees. **

**"Dunno," Seifer replied, stopping for a minute to catch his breath. Licking his dry lips, he ran a hand through his tousled, golden hair. "We better move. We're losing her." **

**And with that, Seifer and Raijin raced off through the grassy fields to catch up with Fujin. As they caught up with Fujin, a small screeching noise could be heard. Fujin gave a small giggle. **

**"Look! Look, Raijin! Look, Seifer! Look what I've found!" **

**Fujin gave another giggle and hugged the Ruby Dragon around its lowered neck. **

"Seifer?"

There came a sharp intake of breath, and Seifer snapped out of his reverie. He shook his head and glanced first at Zell, then at Quistis. Both were staring at him with concern on their faces. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he muttered with a shrug. He gave another shake of his head and glanced at the large Ruby Dragon before Quistis. "How long have you been able to control them?" he asked quietly.

Quistis thought for a moment before answering. "Hmm, well I'm not quite sure. But it's not as if I control them or anything. They just come to me naturally whenever I call," she replied calmly. "But it was the time my mother died and I ran away from the castle…"

"But you were attacked then," Zell added, now beginning to scowl. "When I found you there was a Ruby Dragon picking at you."

Quistis shook her head. "You must have gotten there too late then, Zell," she explained, stroking Rubedo's snout absent-mindedly. "I was attacked by a T-Rexaur when I wandered too far from the castle. But before it could eat me, Rubedo came and saved me. He carried me off to safety and made you sure you found me, Zell."

Zell looked quite dumbfounded. "But why didn't you tell me this before?"

Quistis shook her head. "Isn't it obvious? I was scared. I didn't understand why the Ruby Dragon came to save me. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think you would believe me," she replied. "And besides, what did it matter? I was safe, wasn't I?"

For a long moment no one spoke. Quistis waited for her words to sink in, and Zell was too confused and shocked to say anything more. Seifer seemed to have other thoughts plaguing his mind as well.

Finally, Quistis turned back to glance at Rubedo and said, "I'm calling in a favor, Rubedo. Please take us to Bahamut's Marsh quickly."

Rubedo gave a small nod and bowed forward. It seemed to gesture to the three companions that it was safe to board its back.

Quistis smiled and turned to Zell and Seifer. "He'll take us to the marsh. Come on," she said, climbing Rubedo's back.

Seifer gave a small grunt and soon followed, climbing up the large dragon behind Quistis.

Zell gave a reluctant groan and struggled to climb behind Seifer. "This better be worth it," he grumbled.

* * *

"What _is_ that?" 

Fujin pulled herself out from under the panels once again, giving a small sigh. "It's the Ragnarok's power source, of course," she said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. She gave Squall a cynical look. "Did you _really_ think a ship like this would be powered up by a bunch of measly wires?"

Squall gave no reply and shrugged. He glanced at the object Fujin was indicating and studied it carefully. It was in the shape of an orb, the size of a large marble. It glowed a bright crimson light and hummed quietly, giving off a gentle whirring noise. But the glowing seemed to grow fainter, as if being extinguished by an invisible force. It was hard to believe that such a small object could power up such an enormous ship like the Ragnarok.

Peering at the orb closely, Squall scowled. "That's…"

"The Eye of the Ruby Dragon," Fujin replied, following Squall's gaze. Her crimson eye peered dully at the Ragnarok's power source and sighed. "Of course, _this_ one's special. Pity it's no longer the color it used to be."

Squall tore his gaze away from the orb and looked intently at Fujin. Slowly, his eyes shifted from her crimson eye to the eye-patch over her other eye; her missing eye.

"You shouldn't have," he muttered quietly.

Fujin shrugged. "It was the least I could do. After all, you did do me a big favor of breaking up that engagement," she replied, the corners of her lips twitching into am awkward smile.

A shade of rouge rose to Squall's cheeks. Looking away from Fujin's gaze, he mumbled, "You know I would've married you if you hadn't asked me to break it up." He shifted around, uncomfortable with the topic.

"I know," Fujin replied, a small smile still planted on her pale lips. "But there's someone else much better for you. Besides, we wouldn't have looked good together…"

"You're just saying that because you're in love with _him_," Squall retorted, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

It was Fujin's turn to blush as her ivory colored face suddenly turned hot pink. Clearing her throat loudly, she slid back inside the panels, not wanting Squall to see her reaction. "He…" she began, staring intently at the Ruby Dragon's Eye. "He doesn't feel the same about me."

* * *

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Quistis said, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. 

Zell hobbled over to his sister, his pale skin tinge with a funny green color. Dizzily, he tried to gain his balance, stretching his arms wide to each side. "Urgh…speak for your–" He quickly turned away and heaved.

Seifer looked slightly nauseated and tried to steady himself with a nearby tree. He made a face as Zell continued to vomit profusely. The sight was enough to make _him_ feel like vomiting. "Keep it down, chicken-wuss," he growled grumpily, forcing his stomach to stay put.

"Oh shut up, you stupid f – Urrgh…" Zell lurched forward and threw up once again.

Quistis sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Zell, just how much did you eat, anyway?" she grumbled to herself, moving to her brother and patting him gently on the back. "Come on, we should hurry. It's not safe to dawdle in one place for long."

For once, Zell gave no argument. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he stood up and attempted to nod. "R…right. Maybe that old hag'll have a–"

Quistis sighed in defeat as she watched her brother dash off to a nearby tree, vomiting once again. "Zell, please. Rubedo doesn't fly that recklessly. Now come on. You're beginning to get Seifer and I nauseated."

From behind Quistis, another heaving sound could be heard. This time, it was Seifer.

* * *

Eriol Enolle was an old witch inhabiting Bahamut's Marsh. Old and alone, she desired only solitude for the remainder of her days. 

Although unclear how the witch came to be, inhabitants of nearby villages and kingdoms often came to her for help in their everyday problems. She soon became a favorite of many kings and queens and would often be presented lavishing gifts of praise in the hopes that she would perform her black magic.

Yet, the old witch cared nothing for lavishing presents, and she often refused them. Gifts of gold, silver, and precious gems never interested her. What she really desired were children. Not for eating, but for an apprentice. Eriol Enolle desired nothing more than to train young apprentices the art of her black magic.

But, alas, it was never to be so. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, nobility shunned the old witch's request, keeping their children away from her as much as possible. Thus, her popularity waned, and soon she was left all alone in her little hut. In time, almost no one came to ask for her assistance. The way to her home was a dangerous path, and horrible creatures of the swamp emerged, surrounding her from all sides.

Thus, Eriol Enolle couldn't be happier. Isolated from humanity, she was finally allowed some peace and quiet. Humanity whined and complained about everything and made no attempt to fix their own problems. They always had to rely on some other being they could not understand.

_Humans are so small-minded,_ the witch thought to herself as she stood over a large cauldron. Stirring the contents inside of the cauldron, she continued to mutter to herself, wondering what animal she should test with on her new potion. "…Toads…bats…maybe a grendel…" She cackled loudly to herself, apparently amused.

She had finally decided to experiment on a Malboro when, suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

The witch ceased her cackling and dropped her ladle into the simmering cauldron with a plop. Her eyes narrowed slowly and she tipped her head up, sniffing the air carefully. "Hmm…" She lowered her gaze and stared straight ahead of her, towards an open window.

There was a peculiar scent in the air; not exactly unpleasant, but not exactly welcoming either.

Eriol Enolle shook her head and turned to glance at closed door at the opposite side of the room. She had visitors.

"Humans…"

There came a loud knock on the door, and the hut shook slightly.

"Hey! Uh, Witch – er – I mean…_Lady_ Eriol Enolle!" a familiar voice called out, puncturing the silence in the hut.

The old witch winced at the sound of the voice, as if a piercing dagger had stabbed her.

"We come to you in peace!" the voice continued, continuing to hammer against the door. "…Or in pieces for that matter," he added in an undertone.

"I heard that!" the old witch snapped, waving her hand irritably. In an instant, the wooden door swung open and a figure stumbled into the hut.

"Ow! That hurt!" Zell grunted, slamming against the cold, stone floor.

The old witch narrowed her eyes once again and ignored Zell. Her gaze remained transfixed on the doorway. She soon met calm, azure eyes, blue as the sky. Eriol Enolle grinned. "My lady," she said, bowing her head down low to the ground.

Quistis curtsied, lowering her eyes to the floor as well. "Eriol Enolle, Lady of the Swamp."

The witch looked amused. "I see _some_ children are still taught manners," she said, rising up from her bow. "Unlike _others_…" Her gaze fell to Zell, who was on the verge of poking a strange instrument placed against the wall. "You! Do not touch that!" she snapped.

Zell pulled his fingers back in shock, as if the object would bite him if he touched it.

"You! I thought I told you never to come back here," the old witch snarled, striding angrily towards Zell. "You are a walking disaster! You break everything you touch! And you were an incompetent apprentice!" She prodded a bony finger on Zell's chest.

"Ow! Listen, you old – ow! Cut it out!" Zell glowered, trying to fend off the witch's bony finger.

Quistis cleared her throat, shooting an icy glare at Zell. "Eriol Enolle, if I may speak to you in _private_…" she said, slightly louder than she intended.

The old crone turned her gaze back to the princess, looking her over carefully. For a long moment she said nothing, until finally, she gave a nod and gestured over to a private room at the very end of the hut. "Come then, my lady. I will assist you in any way I can." And with that, she led the way into the room, beckoning Quistis to follow.

Without a moment's hesitation, the princess moved over to the room and sat down on the floor.

The witch turned back to glance at the two princes and narrowed her eyes. "Away with the both of you. If you are to disturb what occurs here, you _will_ pay the price." And with that said, the door shut firmly.

* * *

The air smelled heavily of incense and spices, and the room was slightly clouded by a mysterious lavender mist. There was a soft humming coming from the walls as the flow of magic pulsed through from room to room, causing gentle sparks of light to erupt every now and then. 

Quistis found herself distracted from all the activity in the room. How could she concentrate with so many distractions in the room?

As if reading her thoughts, the old witch sat opposite of Quistis and remarked, "Do not be trouble by the flow of magic here. It is what keeps this place safe. Without it, we would be vulnerable to any creature wandering about here."

_Like_ that's _going to help me concentrate,_ Quistis thought, turning to glance at a puff of smoke appearing before her.

"Now, what is it that troubles you so?"

Quistis thought for a moment, careful in choosing her words. "Lady Eriol, surely you know of the situation  
in Balamb?"

The witch lit up a pipe and began to puff on it. "Of the GFs, of course. You have to be stupid not to notice such a change in the world. I've been feeling these awful tremors days ago," she replied, nodding her head. She studied Quistis's stoic face and grunted.

"Then you know of what I am to do? Of my destiny?" Azure eyes looked up apprehensively.

A chuckle emerged from the witch's lips as she pulled the pipe out of her mouth. "My lady, there is very little about you that I do _not_ know. After all, your fate was sealed even before you were born."

Quistis clutched her hands tightly, trying to remain as calm as she could. "Then what am I to do? The legend says that I must produce an heir within seven days. How does one accomplish that?" she asked, her hands beginning to shake.

"Bah! Do not be fooled by legend and prophecy. Legend's only good for a laugh. It's the prophecy you really want, you know," the witch replied calmly, blowing out another puff of smoke.

"Then how am I to defeat these GFs?"

It was then that the witch grew silent, thinking for a moment. Finally, she drew her hand out and reached over to touch Qustis's right hand.

Quistis winced as something sharp suddenly pierced the palm of her hand. Within seconds, blood dripped down from her fingers and landed into a silver basin full of water. Soon, the water rippled from its disturbance, and an image emerged.

"There will be severe pain waiting for you, princess. Evil is coming for you with a sharpened sickle. You must be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?"

The witch's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she gasped loudly as the power overtook her. "There is death! One among you will die!"

Immediately, a flash of crimson emerged from the basin and the water shot up. Quistis yelped and yanked her hand away from the witch. The water had stung painfully.

**_"We will destroy you!"_** the witch spoke, the crimson water engulfing her. Her lips and moved. But it was not her voice speaking.

"Stop!"

A burst of azure light erupted into the room, and for a moment, the world grew still.

Quistis's eyes widened and she gave a pained cry as she clutched her arm. The wound had reopened. "That's enough!" she yelled, trying to subdue her powers. Slamming one hand against the floor, she gritted her teeth and shoved her magic into the silver basin. In an instant, the basin snapped, and the magic was gone.

Eriol Enolle's eyes rolled back into place and she breathed in heavily from her ordeal. Panting, she looked up at Quistis, her eyes glistening with sorrow. "My child," she rasped quietly. "Oh, my child. The cross you must bear to set others free–"

The princess lunged forward as the witch fainted. "Eriol Enolle!" she cried out in shock, shaking the witch gently. "Wake up, please! I never meant to kill you!"

Carefully, she lay the witch down on the floor and prayed her magic would heal the woman. Closing her eyes, she uttered a silent prayer and moved her good hand over to the witch's face. A soft light drifted from the palm of Quistis's hand. It then grew brighter as it made its way to the fallen witch.

"Heal," the princess murmured quietly, allowing the gentle light to engulf the witch's body. As she lowered her hand to touch the old crone's forehead, she gasped, not out of pain, but out of shock. Images raced through her mind.

**"Fighting again? Geeze, I just don't know why you boys like getting hurt so much!" A young girl pursed her lips and leaned her hands on her hips. **

**A familiar blonde pointed a bruised finger at a boy with dark brown hair standing across from him. "Hey, he started it!" **

**"Don't be such a whiner, Seifer! Or I'll gut you the next time!" another little boy growled, raising a bloody fist at the blonde. **

**"Awe, shaddap, country boy! No one was talking to you!" **

**"Why you–"**

**The blonde and the boy with the bloody fist tumbled onto the marble floor, wrestling one another. **

**The young girl grabbed at the boys' collars and tugged at them desperately. "Boys! Haven't you gotten enough bruises for one day? Come on now, break it up! Squall! What are you – No! Not again!" **

Quistis's eyes began to water as her magic continued to flow into the witch. It was then that she realized that the images penetrating her thoughts were not visions, but memories.

**"Sis, I don't want you to leave! I want you to stay here with me!" **

**The girl looked older now; more mature and more of a lady. She smiled prettily at the weeping boy and patted his head gently. "Oh, Squall, you were always my favorite." **

**"Why do you have to go?" **

**"Because…" the girl's voice trailed off and she shook the thought away. Smiling, she reached out for the little boy's hands and held them up. "Tell you what," she said, consoling the boy, "we'll make a promise. Just between the two of us." **

**"A promise?" **

**"That's right. Promise me that you and Irvy will get along once I'm gone, okay? And that you and Seifer stop fighting." **

**"Yeah, well he deserves that black eye," the boy muttered grumpily. **

**The girl chuckled in amusement. "Well, I suppose trying to get you boys to stop fighting is going to be impossible to ask for. So how about something else, hmm? The next time we meet, you'll be all grown up, and you'll be the prince Laguna and I have always dreamed you'd be. Do you promise, Squall?" **

**"I'll be good! I promise! Just don't leave!" The boy flung himself at the girl and hugged her fiercely. **

**"You were always my favorite…Squall." **

Quistis moved her hand away from the witch and let out a sigh of relief. "Lady Eriol?" she whispered, peering closely at the unconscious witch. As she drew near, she suddenly scowled. Her healing had worked, but the face she now gazed at was not the old witch's.

* * *

**Author's Note**: DUM DUM DUM! Heehee, I'm such a naughty naughty girl. Always leaving things at cliffhangars. Hahahahaha. Oh dear. Hehehe, I figured we could have a little more romantic development between the characters, even though I suck miserably at it. Hahaha, I know that whole witch thing was pretty obvious, but hey, I'm running out of ideas here, and I'm trying to finish this fic ASAP (well, not really). Whelp, leave your reviews and tell moi what you think, ne? 


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